What is the primary function of TCP?

The primary function of TCP, or Transmission Control Protocol, is to ensure the reliable and ordered delivery of data packets over a network. This is crucial for maintaining the integrity of data as it moves across potentially unreliable media, such as the internet. TCP achieves this reliability through several key mechanisms: it establishes connections using a three-way handshake, segments data into manageable packets, and includes error-checking features that ensure packets are delivered without corruption. If packets arrive out of order, TCP can reorder them before passing them to the application layer.

The other options focus on different functionalities. Wireless communication relates more to the physical layer of networking, while video streaming involves protocols that work at the application layer, such as UDP, which prioritizes speed over reliability. Remote access does not directly pertain to TCP's core functions, even though TCP is often used in remote access protocols like SSH or RDP. Each of these options may interact with TCP in some way, but they do not define its primary function, which is centered on reliable and ordered packet delivery.