Getting Data to the Right Application

Layer 4 ensures data reaches the correct application on the destination device using port numbers and transport protocols.

Key concepts:

• Ports — logical identifiers for applications
• TCP — reliable, ordered delivery (web, files, email)
• UDP — fast, no guarantees (Dante, NDI, streaming)
• Firewalls — often filter traffic based on ports

Why Dante Uses UDP

For real-time audio, a tiny click from a dropped packet is better than audible latency from waiting for retransmission. Speed wins.