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What's the difference between flow control and congestion control in TCP?

This question can be broken down into two parts:
A) What is the overall purpose of flow and congestion control?
B) How is the task accomplished?

User JerryZhou
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Flow control and congestion control are mechanisms in TCP that manage network traffic. Flow control regulates the rate of data sent based on the receiver's capacity, while congestion control prevents network congestion. Flow control uses a sliding window mechanism, while congestion control relies on algorithms like Tahoe, Reno, and New Reno.

Step-by-step explanation:

Flow control and congestion control are two different mechanisms in TCP that help manage network traffic. The purpose of flow control is to ensure that a sender does not overwhelm a receiver with data. It helps regulate the rate at which data is sent based on the receiver's ability to process it. On the other hand, congestion control aims to prevent network congestion by reducing the amount of data sent when there is congestion in the network.

Flow control is accomplished through the use of a sliding window mechanism. The receiver advertises its receive window size, which tells the sender how much data it is capable of receiving. The sender then adjusts its sending rate to match the receiver's capacity. Congestion control, on the other hand, relies on various algorithms such as Tahoe, Reno, and New Reno. These algorithms monitor network conditions, such as packet loss and latency, to estimate and react to congestion. They use techniques like slow start and congestion avoidance to control the sending rate and reduce congestion in the network.

User Neelay Srivastava
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