Which of the following ensures data is delivered in the correct order?

The correct answer is TCP, which stands for Transmission Control Protocol. TCP is a connection-oriented protocol that ensures reliable and ordered delivery of data packets between devices on a network. It achieves this by establishing a connection between the sender and receiver before data transmission begins. During this connection, TCP uses sequence numbers to track the order of packets, allowing it to reassemble them in the correct order at the destination, even if they arrive out of sequence.

In addition to order, TCP also includes error checking and correction mechanisms. This means that if packets are lost or corrupted during transmission, TCP can detect these issues and request retransmission, thereby guaranteeing the integrity of the transmitted data.

By contrast, protocols like UDP (User Datagram Protocol) do not provide such reliability or ordering; they send packets without establishing a connection, which means that packets may arrive out of order, be duplicated, or even be lost without notification. IP (Internet Protocol) is responsible for routing and addressing packets but does not guarantee order or reliability. ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) is primarily used for error messaging and operational queries within a network but does not manage data delivery order either.