Which set of fields constitutes the 4-tuple used by the transport layer to identify a specific connection?

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Multiple Choice

Which set of fields constitutes the 4-tuple used by the transport layer to identify a specific connection?

Explanation:
The transport layer identifies a specific connection by the combination of who is communicating and which applications are involved on each end. That means the four fields are the source and destination IP addresses (which host is talking to which host) plus the source and destination ports (which application on each host is using the connection). This four-field identifier uniquely distinguishes one transport connection from another between the same pair of hosts, even if they are exchanging data on the same port numbers. Fields like Time To Live or Protocol belong to routing and higher-layer signaling, not to the per-connection identity at the transport layer. TTL can change as packets traverse networks, and Protocol only indicates which upper-layer protocol is being used (TCP or UDP), not which specific connection it represents. So the correct set is Source IP, Destination IP, Source Port, Destination Port.

The transport layer identifies a specific connection by the combination of who is communicating and which applications are involved on each end. That means the four fields are the source and destination IP addresses (which host is talking to which host) plus the source and destination ports (which application on each host is using the connection). This four-field identifier uniquely distinguishes one transport connection from another between the same pair of hosts, even if they are exchanging data on the same port numbers.

Fields like Time To Live or Protocol belong to routing and higher-layer signaling, not to the per-connection identity at the transport layer. TTL can change as packets traverse networks, and Protocol only indicates which upper-layer protocol is being used (TCP or UDP), not which specific connection it represents. So the correct set is Source IP, Destination IP, Source Port, Destination Port.

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