Which of the following protocols provides a reliable, connection-based transmission channel?

The Transfer Control Protocol (TCP) is designed to provide a reliable, connection-based transmission channel. TCP is a core protocol of the Internet Protocol Suite and is used to establish a connection between two endpoints before any data transmission occurs. This connection-oriented nature ensures that data packets are delivered in the correct sequence and without errors, as TCP includes mechanisms for error detection, data recovery, and flow control.

When a TCP connection is established, it undergoes a process known as the three-way handshake, which confirms that both parties are ready for communication. Additionally, TCP provides acknowledgments for received packets and retransmits any lost packets, thus guaranteeing reliable delivery of data.

In contrast, other protocols like the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) do not establish a connection and do not include mechanisms for ensuring reliability or the order of packet delivery. Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) primarily facilitates the initiation, management, and termination of communication sessions but does not provide guaranteed data delivery. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) operates over TCP and relies on its reliability features but does not inherently provide a connection-based transmission on its own; it is dependent on the underlying TCP protocol for that.