Computer A wants to send data to Computer B using TCP/IP. Which sequence best describes how this works?

Computer A wants to send data to Computer B using TCP/IP. Which sequence best describes how this works?

• A. Computer A splits the data into packets, performs a three-way handshake with Computer B to establish the connection, then sends the packets to the nearest router, resending any lost packets.
• B. Computer A sends the entire data as a single block without any handshake.
• C. Computer A uses UDP to send data and relies on unrelated mechanisms for reliability.
• D. Computer A broadcasts all data to the network without routing decisions.

Answer: (A)

Think about how a reliable connection is set up and used in TCP/IP. Before any data actually moves, the two computers establish a connection with a three-way handshake. This handshake makes sure both ends are ready and agree on how the conversation will proceed. Once the connection is open, the data you want to send is broken into smaller pieces called segments (packets). Those packets travel through routers, which forward them along the path to the destination based on routing information. If any packet is lost or arrives out of order, TCP handles retransmitting the missing data and reassembling the pieces in the correct order at the receiving end. That whole sequence—divide into packets, establish a connection with the three-way handshake, then send the packets and retransmit any that are lost—best captures how TCP/IP delivers data reliably between two computers. Using UDP would skip the handshake and reliability, and broadcasting to the whole network isn’t how a single TCP connection is managed.

Think about how a reliable connection is set up and used in TCP/IP. Before any data actually moves, the two computers establish a connection with a three-way handshake. This handshake makes sure both ends are ready and agree on how the conversation will proceed. Once the connection is open, the data you want to send is broken into smaller pieces called segments (packets). Those packets travel through routers, which forward them along the path to the destination based on routing information. If any packet is lost or arrives out of order, TCP handles retransmitting the missing data and reassembling the pieces in the correct order at the receiving end.

That whole sequence—divide into packets, establish a connection with the three-way handshake, then send the packets and retransmit any that are lost—best captures how TCP/IP delivers data reliably between two computers. Using UDP would skip the handshake and reliability, and broadcasting to the whole network isn’t how a single TCP connection is managed.