TCP Connection Establishment

To create a TCP connection over which full-duplex data can begin to flow, each TCP peer must obtain the following information from the other TCP peer:

  • The starting sequence number for data sent on the inbound pipe

  • The maximum amount of data that can be sent on the outbound pipe before waiting for an acknowledgment (the receive window size of the other TCP peer)

  • The maximum segment size (MSS) that can be received

  • The TCP options that are supported

This information is learned through an exchange of three TCP segments called the TCP connection establishment process, or the TCP three-way handshake.

To create a TCP connection, a listening TCP peer must allow a TCP connection, and an initiating TCP peer must initiate a TCP connection. ...

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