.NET Common Language Runtime Unleashed

.NET Socket

The lowest level of network interface is the socket. If you are familiar with standard Berkley sockets, most of these interfaces and APIs should be familiar. The .Net socket class (hereafter referred to as just socket) is a thin layer around the socket interface. The socket gives the user maximum control over the interface. Although it is possible to create many different kinds of sockets, the most prevalent are the sockets that deal with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Internet addresses; hence, they are called Internet sockets.

Internet sockets come in two types: Datagram sockets and Stream sockets. From this point forward, Datagram sockets will be referred to as Universal Datagram Protocol (UDP) sockets, and ...