Ask HN: How do TCP/IP packets work? - softvar
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ColinWright
It's not clear what your question is. Here's a starting point.

The Internet runs on packets of data.

* IP : Internet Protocol : [0][1]

UDP is a simple wrapper around that to include a few extra things such as
ports and the like.

* UDP : User Datagram Protocol : [2][3]

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) describes how to break a stream into
packets and send them over IP, to reassemble them at the other end, and send
back acknowledgements to guarantee deliver. It also has mechanisms to help
prevent congestion.

* TCP : Transmission Control Protocol : [4][5][6]

If you read, or at least skim those, then you will be able to ask a proper,
well-formulated question.

However, the short version:

    
    
        Q: Ask HN: How do TCP/IP packets work?
    
        A: Very well, thank you.
    

\----

[0]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Protocol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Protocol)

[1] [https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc791](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc791)

[2]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_Datagram_Protocol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_Datagram_Protocol)

[3] [https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc768](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc768)

[4]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmission_Control_Protocol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmission_Control_Protocol)

[5] [https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc675](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc675)

[6] [https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc793](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc793)

------
dozzie
[https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc791](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc791)

[https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc793](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc793)

