Which protocol is known for providing reliable transmission of data across a network?

The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is widely recognized for its ability to provide reliable transmission of data across a network. This reliability is primarily achieved through techniques such as error checking, data segmentation, and the establishment of a connection-oriented communication channel. When data is transmitted using TCP, it ensures that all packets are received in the correct order and without errors. If any packets are lost during transmission, TCP can detect this and will retransmit them, ensuring that the complete and correct data is delivered to the intended recipient. This reliability makes TCP particularly suitable for applications like web browsing, file transfers, and email, where the accurate transmission of data is critical.

In contrast, other protocols like HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) operate at a higher layer and rely on TCP for the actual delivery of data, while RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) is used primarily for streaming media and does not inherently guarantee reliable delivery. IP (Internet Protocol) is responsible for addressing and routing packets but does not ensure reliable, ordered, or error-checked delivery, which is why TCP excels in scenarios requiring reliable communication.