Which protocol is typically associated with the reliable transmission of data over the internet?

The correct protocol associated with the reliable transmission of data over the internet is TCP, which stands for Transmission Control Protocol. TCP ensures that data sent from one device to another arrives accurately and in the correct order. It achieves this by establishing a connection between the sender and receiver, managing error checking and correction, and implementing flow control.

When a sender transmits data, TCP splits this information into packets, numbers them, and sends them. The receiving device acknowledges the receipt of these packets and requests retransmission of any that were lost or damaged during transmission. This acknowledgment process and the ability to check for errors are what provide the reliability that TCP is known for.

FTP, or File Transfer Protocol, and SMTP, or Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, are both higher-level protocols that utilize TCP to ensure reliable data transfer for specific applications such as file transfers and email, respectively. On the other hand, UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is not designed for reliability—it allows packets to be sent without acknowledgment or ordering, which makes it faster but less reliable.

Therefore, TCP's built-in mechanisms for ensuring data integrity and order make it the standard for reliable data transmission over the internet.