In the world of Internet protocol traffic, consumers can choose between a TCP or UDP setup for their business or personal use. When it comes to TCP vs UDP features and functions, each brings its own set of advantages and challenges.
With that said, UDP is known for being faster and more up-to-date, yet many systems still rely on TCP to download batches of information. Users will need to take a look at their specific IP needs to make an informed decision about which protocol is best for them.
What is TCP?
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is connection-oriented, meaning once a connection has been established, data can be transmitted in two directions. TCP has built-in systems to check for errors and to guarantee data will be delivered in the order it was sent, making it the perfect protocol for transferring information like still images, data files, and web pages.
But while TCP is instinctively reliable, its feedback mechanisms also result in a larger overhead, translating to greater use of the available bandwidth on your network.
What is UDP?
User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a simpler, connectionless Internet protocol wherein error-checking and recovery services are not required. With UDP, there is no overhead for opening a connection, maintaining a connection, or terminating a connection; data is continuously sent to the recipient, whether or not they receive it.
Although UDP isn’t ideal for sending an email, viewing a webpage, or downloading a file, it is largely preferred for real-time communications like broadcast or multitask network transmission.
What is the Difference Between TCP and UDP?
TCP is a connection-oriented protocol, whereas UDP is a connectionless protocol. A key difference between TCP and UDP is speed, as TCP is comparatively slower than UDP. Overall, UDP is a much faster, simpler, and efficient protocol, however, retransmission of lost data packets is only possible with TCP.
Another notable discrepancy with TCP vs UDP is that TCP provides an ordered delivery of data from user to server (and vice versa), whereas UDP is not dedicated to end-to-end communications, nor does it check the readiness of the receiver (requiring fewer overheads and taking up less space).
Feature | TCP | UDP |
| Connection status | Requires an established connection to transmit data (connection should be closed once transmission is complete) | Connectionless protocol with no requirements for opening, maintaining, or terminating a connection |
| Data sequencing | Able to sequence | Unable to sequence |
| Guaranteed delivery | Can guarantee delivery ofdata to the destination router | Cannot guarantee delivery of data to the destination |
| Retransmission of data | Retransmission of lost packets is possible | No retransmission of lost packets |
| Error checking | Extensive error checking and acknowledgment of data | Basic error checking mechanism using checksums |
| Method of transfer | Data is read as a byte stream; messages are transmitted tosegment boundaries | UDP packets with defined boundaries; sent individually and checked for integrity on arrival |
| Speed | Slower than UDP | Faster than TCP |
| Broadcasting | Does not support Broadcasting | Does support Broadcasting |
| Optimal use | Used by HTTPS, HTTP, SMTP, POP, FTP, etc | Video conferencing, streaming, DNS, VoIP, etc |
TCP vs UDP Speed
The reason for UDP’s superior speed over TCP is that its non-existent ‘acknowledgement’ supports a continuous packet stream. Since TCP connection always acknowledges a set of packets (whether or not the connection is totally reliable), a retransmission must occur for every negative acknowledgement where a data packet has been lost.
But because UDP avoids the unnecessary overheads of TCP transport, it’s incredibly efficient in terms of bandwidth, and much less demanding of poor performing networks, as well.
Which is Better for Video Conferencing?
The flow controls from TCP, although dependable, are unable to recover missing data fast enough to be useful in real-time video communications. And while data integrity is important, it has to be balanced with speed to ensure the pace of communication remains unhindered.
That’s why the Lifesize web and desktop apps have been developed to prioritize UDP over TCP for media transport, while our Icon meeting room systems exclusively use UDP for real-time media. Additionally, Lifesize employs strategies like error concealment, error correction, and rate controls for robust UDP media connections sans lags or latency.
Lifesize strongly recommends our customers enable access via UDP toward our cloud servers, as this can help achieve the best user experience possible.
How to Enable UDP on Lifesize
For the highest-quality video conferencing available, Lifesize favors UDP to reduce delays and ensure smooth calls every time. In just a few steps, you can have UDP enabled on Lifesize and be well on your way to better meetings and stronger results.
1. Open Lifesize
Open the Lifesize web or desktop app to get started. Lifesize supports a wide range of devices and user preferences, with apps for PC and Mac computers, Android and iOS phones and tablets, and a browser-based web app for any devices unable to download applications.
2. Choose preferences
Once you’re in the Lifesize app, you’ll want to choose your port preferences. To place calls to other devices through a firewall, you need to configure your firewall to allow incoming and outgoing traffic to the Lifesize system through the reserved TCP or UDP ports.
To minimize the number of UDP ports available for communication, you can restrict the range by changing values in Preferences > Network > Reserved Ports. By default, Lifesize systems communicate through ports in the range 60000 – 64999 for video, voice, presentations, and camera control.
While Lifesize encourages users to stick to this range, you do have the ability to restrict the number of UDP ports that are available. If the range you choose is not a subset of the default, be sure it begins with a port number greater than 49151.
Additionally, the range has to start with an even number and end with an odd number to include an even number of total ports. For example, if a range starts at 62000, set the lower end to 62000 and the upper end to 62099 to allocate 100 ports (the required minimum).
Please note, changing the values in Reserved Ports will cause the system to restart.
3. Open proxy settings
With your preferences in place, it’s time to open your proxy settings by navigating to Preferences > Network > Proxy.
This table is a great resource on the necessary firewall and proxy settings associated with UDP, as you’ll need to configure your firewall to allow outbound access from your network to your UDP ports. If you happen to have third-party integration for approved Cisco® and Polycom® devices, you will be provided with an H.460 server IP address, as well.
Be sure to click Save on your updates. Successful proxy connection shows as Connected, but if your proxy status shows Failed, it’s important to check your settings and try again.
4. Enable UDP
With UDP enabled on Lifesize, users can make the most of their video calls and conferencing, thanks to 30 frames of video or more per second. This image-refresh interval is so fast, you won’t have to wait for delayed data retransmissions, which means improvements in clarity, consistency, and productivity all in one platform.
Conclusion
After exploring the difference between TCP and UDP, it’s clear any business using virtual communications can benefit greatly from UDP. Not only does UDP avoid the transport traps and clogged networks common with TCP, but it boasts exceptional speed for all your streaming needs. And by enabling UDP for Lifesize, companies enjoy enhanced workflows, less overhead, and fewer interruptions all around, making this pairing a true win-win.
