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Network Protocols Glossary

What is a network protocol? Protocols are the rules of the road for how data exists and moves on the network. They allow many different systems and computers to communicate.

QUIC and GQUIC

What is QUIC and GQUIC?

QUIC (Quick UDP Internet Connections) is a modern network protocol designed to provide faster and more reliable internet connections. It operates at the transport layer, replacing the traditional TCP/TLS stack.

GQUIC is the original implementation of QUIC developed by Google. It served as the foundation for the standardized QUIC protocol. While GQUIC is still used in some environments, the focus has shifted towards the standardized QUIC, which offers broader interoperability and enhanced features.

QUIC is particularly well-suited for applications that require low latency, high throughput, and reliable delivery.


What is the purpose of QUIC and GQUIC

QUIC operates on top of UDP, unlike TCP, which is connection-oriented. This offers several advantages:

  • Connection Establishment: QUIC uses a handshake process similar to TLS, ensuring secure communication from the start.

  • Congestion Control: QUIC incorporates advanced congestion control mechanisms, allowing it to adapt to network conditions and optimize performance.

  • Packet Loss Recovery: QUIC employs efficient error correction and retransmission strategies to handle packet loss gracefully.

  • Multiple Streams: QUIC supports multiple streams within a single connection, enabling efficient handling of multiple requests and responses.

  • Header Compression: QUIC uses header compression to reduce overhead and improve performance.