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UDP

UDP

1. User Datagram Protocol. Like TCP, UDP sits above IP, but unlike TCP it is a connectionless communications protocol (meaning there is no handshaking between the sender and receiver). It provides a "best-effort" delivery, and neither the arrival or correct sequencing of datagrams is guaranteed. Datagrams can therefore go missing without any form of notification.

UDP is used by applications that do not require an acknowledgement and which send only small amounts of data. It is typically used to broadcast information over a network.

Relevant links:

http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc768 - This RFQ defines the User Datagram Protocol.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/06/02/UDP/ - Microsoft Developer article on using UDP with .NET.

2. UseNet Death Penalty. cf UseNet.

Relevant links:

www.stopspam.org/faqs/udp.html - Usenet Death Penalty FAQ.

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