What does the Transport Layer in the TCP/IP model primarily handle?

The Transport Layer in the TCP/IP model primarily focuses on providing reliable data transfer between devices. Its core function is to ensure that data is transmitted accurately and in the correct order across the network. This layer is responsible for establishing a connection between the sender and receiver, managing flow control, and implementing error detection and correction mechanisms.

In protocols such as TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), which operates at this layer, features like connection-oriented communication are employed. This means that before data is sent, a secure connection is established, and the data is divided into segments that are then transmitted over the network. If any of these segments are lost or corrupted during transmission, TCP will retransmit them to ensure that the complete message arrives intact. This reliability is a key characteristic of the Transport Layer, making it possible for applications to function effectively without worrying about the complexities of the underlying network transmissions.

While other options like data encryption, data segmentation, and network address translation are essential concepts in networking, they pertain to different layers or aspects of the network model. Data encryption is typically handled at the application layer or through dedicated security protocols, data segmentation is a part of the functionality of the Transport Layer but is not its primary purpose, and network address translation is a process related