What’s In It For You?
 What Is User Datagram Protocol?
 Features of User Datagram Protocol
 UDP Header Format
 Working of the UDP Protocol
 Applications of the UDP Protocol
 UDP vs TCP

What Is User Datagram Protocol?

What Is User Datagram Protocol?
The User Datagram Protocol, is an unreliable and connectionless with, process to process
communication model and is part of the Transport Layer Protocol in the OSI model for
providing internet services.
Sender Receiver
UDP Format
Connectionless
Service

Features of User Datagram Protocol?

Features of User Datagram Protocol
The UDP protocol provides various features for efficient transmission of data and information
for applications with minimum data loss.

Features of User Datagram Protocol
Transport Layer Protocol
UDP is part of the transport layer of the OSI model, is an unreliable and based on the best-
effort delivery options for the data.
Internet Layer
Network Access Layer
Transport Layer
Application Layer
Original Model
No Acknowledgment is
received.
No Retransmission
for corrupt data.
Best-Effort Delivery

Features of User Datagram Protocol
Connectionless Transmission
UDP protocol does not establish a virtual path for data transmission, so each data datagram,
uses a different path to reach the destination side.
Sender Receiver
Connectionless Model

UDP Header Format

Header format for User Datagram Protocol
The UDP datagram, is composed of two parts, UDP Header of size 8 bytes and the data that
is encapsulated is attached to the header.
Source Port Destination Port
Total Length Checksum
Header
8 bytes
UDP Data
UDP Datagram
User Datagram Header Format
16 bits 16 bits

Header format for User Datagram Protocol
 Source Port Number – It is a 16 bit value, required
to identify the port transmitting data.
 Destination Port Number – Used to identify the port
number, that will be receiving the data.
 Total Length – This value is used to specify the length of the UDP packet including the UDP
header.
 Checksum – This is a 16-bit field and is used as an optional attribute. It is left to the application
to check the accuracy of the transmitted data and applied to the entire UDP packet
(datagram).

Working of the UDP Protocol

Working of User Datagram Protocol
Message
Sender Side
UDP Header Data
IP Header Data
Frame Header Data
Receiver Side
Message
UDP Header Data
IP Header Data
Frame Header Data

Applications of the UDP Protocol

Applications of User Datagram Protocol
Some of the features of the UDP protocol that proves to be beneficial for the network:
It is used by processes that have flow and error control mechanism, such as TFTP (Trivial File
Transfer Protocol).
Provides faster transmission of data, as no pre-established virtual path is needed for transfer, and
is used in real-time services and live communication.

UDP vs TCP

UDP vs TCP
Attribute UDP TCP
Reliability
Data reaching its destination cannot be
guaranteed.
Is reliable as it guarantees delivery of
data to the receiver side.
Acknowledgment Signal
No acknowledgment is issued from
either of the side.
Acknowledgment is shared between
both the sides.
Connection Mode
UDP is a connectionless mode of
service, with no virtual path.
TCP is a connection – oriented
protocol, as virtual path is needed for
communication.
Error Check System
Basic checksum system is only used
for error check.
It uses extensive error-check service,
along with error flow control
mechanism.

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