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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/tech-tcp-reliable-byte-stream

What service does TCP present to an application?

TCP presents a reliable, in-order byte stream.

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  1. A reliable in-order byte stream ✔
  2. Independent messages with no ordering
  3. Raw radio frames with no connection

Why: TCP numbers, acknowledges, and retransmits data so an application receives an ordered stream of bytes. The application does not see the packet boundaries used underneath.

Huh, didn't know that: Because TCP is a byte stream, one application write need not equal one receiver read.

The dad joke
TCP alphabetized its bytes because it believes in order.
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References

Answer: A reliable in-order byte stream. TCP numbers, acknowledges, and retransmits data so an application receives an ordered stream of bytes. The application does not see the packet boundaries used underneath.

  1. RFC 9293: Transmission Control Protocol www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9293.html
    TCP provides a reliable, in-order, byte-stream service to applications.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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