What is QUIC Protocol: Everything That You Should Know
Posted on 22nd June 2021
Are you sure that the Internet protocol can’t be perfect? It means that you have not heard about QUIC. It contains advanced safety of TLS encryption and Transmission Control Protocol best features. Altogether they provide astonishing connection and data transfer that is 3 times quicker than usual. Do you want to know other peculiarities about QUIC protocol? Then keep reading and find out the answers to the most frequently asked questions.
What is QUIC Protocol?
QUIC (Quick UDP Internet Connection) is a state-of-the-art network protocol. It was created for making HTTP traffic more effective, secure, and quicker. In fact, it took the best features of TLS encryption as well as TCP network and carried it out in UDP. But you may be wondering what the reason to design QUIC if it is similar to TLS+TCP was. Let’s find out what a new Internet protocol is used for.
Purpose of Applying QUIC Protocol
A low-latency transportation protocol QUIC is usually used for services and applications that need an immediate response. The following protocol will perfectly suit streamers, gamers, and other users who look for effective solutions to everyday tasks. This is how QUIC can change your online experience:
Diminish connection times
Usually, a person and a service have to take a few steps to establish TLS encryption. A TLS handshake and changing encryption keys are recognized as quite a long process. Everything is getting longer if the information is transferred over TCP. As a result, you waste time and get a slowed-down connection. This is when QUIC enters the stage. It needs only a single handshake.
Stable connections in case of changing the networks
If your network changes while your device is connected to a web service using TCP, then you will have to establish the connection again each time. You can make this transition smoother if you use QUIC. It will give an exclusive attribute to every tie to a web server. As a result, a packet will be sent rather than a new connection established. It doesn’t even matter if you change the IP.
Better performance
Do you work with HTTP/2 on TCP? Then, you may face losing the data packets. In simpler words, the first packet keeps data packets, and one of the packets is eventually lost. In this case, you will have to wait until it is retrieved. As a result, connection performance is affected.
It will not happen with QUIC protocol. It allows the streams of data to get to the essential destination by oneself.
Simpler to develop and enhance
QUIC may be implemented on the app level that makes it more flexible in comparison to TCP. The latter, by the way, is implemented in OS kernels. It means that it is almost impossible to change it.
What Applications Are Using QUIC?
While QUIC was created in 2010, it has gotten an incredible push from Google recently. Now the Internet protocol is in its draft level but is already used by Google browsers widely. In simpler words, everything that is under its umbrella is using QUIC. For instance, Blogger, Hangouts, YouTube, etc.
Businesses that prefer to deal with quick connections for their services also choose QUIC. Have you heard about Uber? It also uses this Internet protocol for its mobile applications. All in all, you get a more effective app due to less packet loss.
Is QUIC Fast Enough?
Another thing that you may be wondering about is the speed. Most users are concerned about whether QUIC is really fast in comparison to traditional TCP/IP connections. The answer is quite evident here. Currently, exactly speed decides whether you are prosperous or not. With the fast speed that QUIC provides, it will soon get a larger online presence for sure. Google states that QUIC searches are quicker than TCP searches that may push the era of QUIC faster than most users can even expect.
Another advantage of QUIC is multiplexing. While TCP uses a single connection point, it establishes multiple connections. It means that if one of the data streams is interrupted by some interference, the streams can easily continue thanks to multiple connection points. It doesn’t work the same for TCP. In that case, data in the packet that is found between two endpoints is going to keep all information. Pay attention that QUIC can solve such a problem easily. Still, it is necessary to remember that QUIC is a new player while TCP has been used for decades already. The times and users’ requirements and expectations are changing. Knowing the fact that QUIC may be carried out on the app level may make it a leading player very soon.
Does QUIC Have Any Weaknesses?
QUIC protocol is not as flawless as it may seem to be at first glance. There are a few downsides that are associated with it. Even if QUIC enhances online communication and diminishes latency, it is in its draft phase. In other words, developers must make plenty of enhancements so that the protocol is perfect. Other websites and services have not adapted the protocol yet. The same is for cybersecurity tools, for instance, firewalls.
They pass HTTPS/HTTP traffic via a web protection module that carries out malware scanning. The things are different with QUIC. Yes, the web viewing software and related web servers take it as a separate QUIC connection, still, it may not be the same with the device that you use. Hence, the protection module will not be activated. Luckily, you can use a good VPN service such as VeePN and ensure your safety. It will let you enjoy a quick and safe online experience with no interruptions. Some experts even recommend disabling QUIC until most firewalls can recognize it.
