In Brief

  • Socket programming is the de fato standard by which computers running different operating systems communicate with one another.

  • The two most important protocols for socket programming are TCP/IP and UDP. TCP/IP guarantees packet integrity but is slower than UDP. UDP packets are useful for such applications as streaming audio, where a bad packet doesn't harm the application much.

  • Most of the chapter focuses on TCP/IP because it is the protocol used in the vast majority of applications.

  • There are two popularly supported versions of the IP protocol on which TCP/IP and UDP rest: IPv4 and IPv6. Presently, the .NET Compact Framework supports only IPv4.

  • The Socket class is the central socket connectivity object on the .NET Compact Framework. You ...

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