UDP
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What is UDP?
UDP, or User Datagram Protocol, is a communications protocol that sends data over the internet. Unlike TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), it's a connectionless protocol that doesn't ensure data packet delivery. It transmits datagrams – an independent, discrete packet of data – without first establishing a proper handshake between the sender and the receiver. The sender doesn't wait for an acknowledgment after sending a datagram, and the receiver doesn't send any acknowledgment upon receiving a datagram. This makes UDP faster but less reliable than TCP. UDP is used for time-sensitive transmissions where dropped packets are acceptable, such as in live video streaming, voice over IP (VoIP), and online multiplayer gaming.
Free resources to learn UDP
More in stage 3: UDP
UDP: common questions
Can I learn UDP in Hindi?
This lesson is written in English. Once you sign in, open it in the interactive course and ask the AI tutor to explain UDP in Hindi or Hinglish. The tutor answers from this lesson’s own text, so it stays on the syllabus, and it runs on your own Google, OpenAI or Anthropic key.
Is this UDP tutorial for beginners?
It is lesson 6 of 156 in the free Server Side Game Developer roadmap, in stage 3, UDP. If you are new to Server Side Game Developer, start from stage 1 and come back here in order; if you already know the earlier stages, this lesson stands on its own.