TCP vs UDP: How the latakoo app chooses the best technology to speed your file transfer

There are two types of communication that comprise the majority of the traffic over the Internet — TCP, or Transmission Control Protocol and UDP, or User Datagram Protocol.

With the newest release, the latakoo Flight app can now deliver real-time estimated speeds for each of these transfer protocols, giving you the ability to choose to the fastest connection transfer available.

About Transfer Protocols

Generally speaking, if you’re using a web browser, you’re using TCP. If you’re using a service like Signiant, Aspera, or FileCatalyst, you’re using UDP.

UDP file acceleration can be helpful when transferring large video files, because the connection can remove network latency. Latency is a measure of how far away point A is from point B. The farther away they are from each other; the longer it takes information to travel between those two points. Over the latakoo network, high latency can occur when there is a long distance from the upload location to the upload server (eg. sending files from Niger to New York). When the connection path is long, even in high bandwidth situations, latency can be the chief factor in determining the total travel time.

However, in many cases, latakoo has servers geographically nearby its clients and so is able to establish very low latency connections. In these cases, bandwidth becomes the dominant factor in determining travel time. Think of bandwidth as width of the information highway connecting A and B. The wider highway; the more data that can fit across the lanes. In bandwidth limited situations, TCP connections are often faster and more reliable than UDP connections.

But how do you know which connection will be right for you — at the moment you need to send your file? That’s where the latest latakoo Flight app comes in.

• latakoo Flight version 6.3.15 uses machine learning to understand how fast your computer can encode and compress files.
• It also tests your average internet connection using, both TCP and UDP, to our cloud servers. There are two new speed gauges on the lower right-hand corner of the app that show the speeds.
• The app will automatically select UDP or TCP for the transfer when you drag a file into the app based on whichever protocol will provide the speediest transfer. (You can always change the setting manually if you disagree.)
• The app uses what it knows about the Internet throughput (TCP & UDP), your hardware resources, and the video file that you are sending to predict how long it will take to send your file to our cloud servers at every quality setting.
• The application also recommends the fastest way to send your file, including whether it will be faster to compress your file or to send it uncompressed. You’ll see a latakoo bird under the quality setting that will provide the quickest trip to the cloud.
• Depending on how much time you have to send your file, you can always choose the quality and transfer protocol that meets your needs.

latakoo is working to make sending video faster and easier than ever before.

To learn more about latakoo and workflows, contact our sales team or join our How to latakoo training.