TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)

A protocol within TCP/IP that governs the breakup of data messages into packets to be sent by IP (Internet Protocol) and the reassembly and verification of the complete messages from packets received by IP. A connection-oriented, reliable protocol (reliable in the sense of ensuring error-free delivery), TCP corresponds to the transport layer in the International Standard Organization's Open System Interconnect (ISO/OSI) reference model. [Exchange 2007]

The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is a set of rules that allow reliable communication between two processes across a network. See User Datagram Protocol (UDP) for an alternative unreliable protocol.