7.2.3 UDP (Unreliable, Connectionless)

UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is like sending a postcard. You send it, but you don't get a confirmation that it arrived, and if it gets lost, you don't know. When you send data using UDP:

It's faster because it doesn't bother with checking if everything arrived or if it's in order.
Some data might be lost, and it won't be resent.

UDP is unreliable and connectionless (it just sends data without setting up a formal connection first). It's used for things where speed is more important than perfect accuracy, like online gaming (where a tiny delay is worse than a slightly blurry image), live video streaming, or voice calls, where a small delay or a few missing bits of information won't ruin the experience.

Bibliography:

What is UDP? (n.d.). Cloudflare. https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/ddos/glossary/user-datagram-protocol-udp/
User Datagram Protocol (UDP). (2024, December 27). GeeksforGeeks. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/computer-networks/user-datagram-protocol-udp/