What Are Network Sockets?

Network sockets are a fundamental component of computer networking that allow applications to communicate over a network. Understanding sockets is essential for developers, network administrators, and IT professionals because they form the basis of data transfer across devices and the Internet.

Network sockets are not specific to Speedify, but when using Speedify to combine connections or optimize internet performance, applications still rely on network sockets to send and receive data.



How Network Sockets Work

A socket is an endpoint for sending or receiving data across a network. It combines an IP address and a port number to create a unique communication channel between two devices.

  • IP Address: Identifies the device on a network.


  • Port Number: Identifies a specific service or application on the device.


When two devices communicate:

  1. One device opens a socket and binds it to a local port.


  2. The other device connects to this socket using the IP address and port.


  3. Data is transmitted over this connection until it is closed.



Types of Network Sockets

Network sockets are generally divided into two main types:

Socket Type

Protocol

Description
Stream Socket TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) Provides reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of data. Ideal for applications like web browsers, email clients, and file transfers.
Datagram Socket UDP (User Datagram Protocol) Provides fast, connectionless communication without guaranteed delivery. Suitable for streaming, online gaming, or VoIP.


Socket Lifecycle

The lifecycle of a typical socket includes:

  1. Creation: A socket is created by an application using system calls or APIs.


  2. Binding: The socket is assigned a local IP address and port.


  3. Listening (Server Sockets): Servers can listen for incoming connections.


  4. Connection: Clients initiate connections to the server socket.


  5. Data Transfer: Data is sent and received through the socket.


  6. Closure: The connection is closed once communication is complete.



Sockets in Modern Applications

Applications rely on sockets for almost all network communication. For example:

  • Web Browsers mostly use TCP sockets to request web pages from servers. However, UDP is getting more common with the introduction of QUIC / HTTP/3.


  • Streaming Services may use UDP sockets for low-latency video and audio delivery.


  • Speedify Users: Speedify manages traffic at the socket level (Local Load Balancer) or at the packet level (Speed and Redundant), depending on the bonding mode selected.


Common Socket Issues

  • Port Conflicts: Two applications trying to use the same port will cause errors.


  • Firewall Restrictions: Firewalls may block socket connections, preventing communication.


  • Network Latency: Slow connections can impact socket performance, especially for streaming and gaming.