Image
HTTP vs. TCP
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) are both computer protocols involved in the transfer of data, but while they individually serve their own purpose, they have a close relationship.
Let’s break down what HTTP and TCP actually are, what sets them apart, and how they work as a pair.
What is HTTP?
HTTP is a request-response protocol that allows users to communicate data on the World Wide Web (WWW) and transfer hypertext. The protocol remains one of the primary means of using the Internet and provides users a way to interact with web resources such as HTML files by transmitting hypertext messages between clients (such as a web browser like Chrome) and a server. Essentially, it’s used to load web pages using hypertext links.
It’s the backbone of the WWW and it defines the format of messages through which web browsers and web servers communicate. It also defines how a web browser should respond to a specific web request. It’s a stateless protocol which means no session information from previous requests is retained by the receiver. However, while the core of HTTP itself is stateless, it’s not session less, as HTTP cookies allow the use of stateful sessions.
HTTP is located at Layer 7 (the Application Layer) of the Open Systems Interconnection Model (OSI Model) and works similarly to other application services like FTP as it transfers data using a TCP/IP connection.
Related Reading: Comparing Transfer Methods: HTTP vs. FTP
What is TCP?
TCP, short for Transmission Control Protocol, is a communication standard that enables application programs and computing devices to exchange data and/or messages over networks. It is included within the standards defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and is a stateful protocol.
This protocol defines how to establish and maintain a network connection through which data is then exchanged. It also determines how to break the application data into packets that networks can transfer and ensures end-to-end data delivery. TCP transmission is reliable, secure, and guarantees the integrity of data sent over a network, regardless of the amount.
TCP is at Layer 4 (the Transport Layer) of the OSI Model and works with the Internet Protocol (IP). IP is a principal communications protocol that dictates how data should be sent over the Internet from one network to the next.
Together, TCP and IP are the basic standards that define the rules of the Internet and are the most widely used protocols within the Internet protocol suite. However, many major applications rely on TCP such as HTTP, FTP, email, and remote administration.
Related Reading: FTP vs. TCP: What’s the Difference?
The Main Differences Between HTTP and TCP
- HTTP typically uses port 80 – this is the port that the server “listens to” or expects to receive from a Web client. TCP doesn’t require a port to do its job.
- HTTP is faster in comparison to TCP as it operates at a higher speed and performs the process immediately. TCP is relatively slower.
- TCP tells the destination computer which application should receive data and ensures the proper delivery of said data, whereas HTTP is used to search and find the desired documents on the Internet.
- TCP contains information about what data has or has not been received yet, while HTTP contains specific instructions on how to read and process the data once it’s received.
- TCP manages the data stream, whereas HTTP describes what the data in the stream contains.
- TCP operates as a three-way communication protocol, while HTTP is a single-way protocol.
How HTTP and TCP Work as a Pair
In the case of HTTP, before a client and server can exchange an HTTP request/response, they must establish a TCP connection first. Therefore, HTTP relies on the TCP standard in order to successfully do its job.
FAQs
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) forms the backbone of web browsing, facilitating the seamless retrieval of text, images, and multimedia. TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) ensures reliable and ordered data delivery, ideal for applications demanding accuracy, like file transfers.
What is the difference between HTML and TCP and IP? ›
HTTP is the TCP/IP protocol used to deliver webpages from servers to clients, whereas HTML is the formatting language used to design webpages. HTTP is just a protocol used to convey data over the internet, whereas HTML is a markup language used to design web pages. They are not the same thing!
What is the advantage of HTTP over TCP? ›
Here are some benefits of using HTTP/3 over traditional TCP-based or UDP-based protocols: -Reduced Latency -Improved Multiplexing -Enhanced Security -Connection Migration -Improved Congestion Control -Reduced Round-Trip Time (RTT) -Header Compression In summary, HTTP/3 offers several performance and security ...
Is HTTP always over TCP? ›
Designed in the early 1990s, HTTP is an extensible protocol which has evolved over time. It is an application layer protocol that is sent over TCP, or over a TLS-encrypted TCP connection, though any reliable transport protocol could theoretically be used.
How does HTTP and TCP work? ›
When HTTP wants to transmit a message, it streams the contents of the message data, in order, through an open TCP connection. TCP takes the stream of data, chops up the data stream into chunks called segments, and transports the segments across the Internet inside envelopes called IP packets (see Figure 4-4).
What is the difference between HTTP and TCP load balancing? ›
TCP Load Balancer Versus HTTP Load Balancer
HTTP load balancing is a simple HTTP request/response architecture for HTTP traffic. But a TCP load balancer is for applications that do not speak HTTP.
What does TCP mean? ›
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is a communications standard that enables application programs and computing devices to exchange messages over a network. It is designed to send packets across the internet and ensure the successful delivery of data and messages over networks.
What does HTTP mean? ›
The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is the foundation of the World Wide Web, and is used to load webpages using hypertext links. HTTP is an application layer protocol designed to transfer information between networked devices and runs on top of other layers of the network protocol stack.
Is HTTPS a TCP protocol? ›
HTTP and HTTPS operate on top of a Transport Layer protocol (TCP or UDP) and are responsible for managing data communication. HTTP is unencrypted, whereas HTTPS is encrypted.
What is the main advantage of HTTP? ›
Benefits of using HTTP(S)
Secure - When using HTTPS, data across the network is completely secure using industry standard SSL encryption. Firewall friendly - Most companies allow HTTP(S) traffic through their company firewall. Reducing tremendous amount of network administration.
HTTP and TCP serve different purposes in network communication: TCP is a low-level transport protocol that ensures reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of data between applications. HTTP is an application-level protocol that runs on top of TCP and is used for transmitting data over the web.
Where is TCP used? ›
TCP is used extensively by many internet applications, including the World Wide Web (WWW), email, File Transfer Protocol, Secure Shell, peer-to-peer file sharing, and streaming media.
Which comes first TCP or HTTP? ›
HTTP, which stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, is a widely used set of rules that works on top of TCP. It's like a language that web browsers (the programs you use to view websites) and web servers (the computers that store and deliver websites) use to talk to each other.
Is TCP and HTTP the same port? ›
You cannot run them on the same port. What is the difference between HTTP protocol and TCP protocol? The short answer: TCP is a transport-layer protocol, and HTTP is an application-layer protocol that runs over TCP.
What is the difference between TCP and HTTP health check? ›
TCP-level health checks attempt to make a TCP connection with the backend servers by establishing a TCP three-way handshake. HTTP-level health checks send requests to the backend servers at a specific URI and validate the response based on the status code or entity data (body) returned.
Is TCP a HTTP? ›
TCP: is a transport-layer protocol, and HTTP is an application-layer protocol that runs over TCP. To understand the difference between TCP and HTTP you need to understand the idea of a layered networking model.
What is the difference between TCP and UDP and HTTP? ›
TCP vs UDP: Differences between the protocols. The main difference between TCP (transmission control protocol) and UDP (user datagram protocol) is that TCP is a connection-based protocol and UDP is connectionless. While TCP is more reliable, it transfers data more slowly. UDP is less reliable but works more quickly.
Can TCP and HTTP use the same port? ›
HTTP is a layer 7 protocol, whereas TCP is a layer 4 protocol. HTTP command sequences and data flow over a TCP connection, so the answer to your title is an emphatic no. that said however, only one process can use a port at one time.
