= UDP = '''User Datagram Protocol''' ('''UDP''') is a foundational network protocol. It provides fast and error-checked communication in chunks between a server and a client. <> ---- == Design == A UDP packet is connectionless; it is individually addressed to a UDP port. The sender's UDP port is included in the packet, and the receiver should reply (if necessary) to that port. A checksum is included in the UDP packet to ensure correctness of communications. Because there is no negotiation process and no timeout, UDP packets are very fast at the cost of reliability. However, reliable protocols can be built on top of UDP. ---- CategoryRicottone