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TCP vs UDP Debate

The cluster revolves around comparisons between TCP and UDP for reliable networking, debating TCP's ossification, benefits of UDP-based protocols like QUIC, and issues with UDP-over-TCP tunneling in VPNs and similar applications.

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Top Contributors

tptacek (67) wmf (29) lxgr (27) chetanahuja (25) Dylan16807 (22)

Keywords

CPU RPC UDP UPD OSI DNS NAT XP QUIC google.com udp tcp packet protocol wireguard reliability userspace packets vpn protocols

Sample Comments

BlueTemplar • Jun 26, 2019 • View on HN

Don't we already have that with TCP and/or UDP ?

Shawnj2 • Nov 19, 2024 • View on HN

Obvious answer is to run something on top of UDP like QUIC does

brazzledazzle • Jan 27, 2016 • View on HN

Then UDP won't work for your requirements, right?

jgeada • Sep 5, 2024 • View on HN

You can build that with UDP, TCP isn't the only option on IP

Avamander • Sep 22, 2019 • View on HN

It basically uses UDP because TCP is too ossified to add any improvements I think.

e12e • Dec 21, 2018 • View on HN

Cool, I wasn't aware of that. Still ends up doing udp over tcp, though.

mey • Jan 5, 2011 • View on HN

Why couldn't this be done over TCP instead of UDP?

mkj • Apr 18, 2025 • View on HN

Would that help with UDP, or only TCP?

tlack • May 20, 2010 • View on HN

There's a reason most of the world uses TCP.. even for things that sound ideal for UDP.

baby • Jan 13, 2020 • View on HN

It is basically TCP 2.0 implemented on top of UDP. What concerns do you have with this?