The transport layer is the fourth layer of the OSI model and is responsible for ensuring the reliable transmission of data between devices on a network. It provides end-to-end communication channels for applications and facilitates the segmentation and reassembly of data packets. The transport layer also handles error detection and correction to ensure data integrity and flow control to manage the speed at which data is sent and received. The most common protocol operating at the transport layer is the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), which provides a reliable connection-oriented service for transmitting data over the internet. Alternatively, the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a connectionless protocol that is often used for real-time applications where speed is more critical than reliability, such as video streaming or online gaming.
