For which activities is TCP the preferred protocol?

TCP, or Transmission Control Protocol, is preferred for transferring files, web pages, and email because it offers reliable, connection-oriented communication. This means that TCP ensures that data packets are transmitted accurately and in the correct order, which is crucial for activities where the completeness and integrity of the data are essential.

When transferring files, for instance, if any packets are lost during transmission, TCP can detect this and will retransmit those packets, ensuring that the entire file is received without corruption. Similarly, when browsing web pages, TCP guarantees that all required resources (like images and scripts) are received completely before the page is rendered. In email communication, the correctness of data is paramount to ensure messages are not corrupted or turned into gibberish; TCP handles this reliability efficiently.

In contrast, other activities that may utilize different protocols may prioritize speed over reliability. For example, streaming videos or gaming might use UDP (User Datagram Protocol) where some data loss is acceptable for the sake of lower latency and faster data transmission.