What type of connections does UDP allow?

UDP, or User Datagram Protocol, is known for enabling applications to send messages without the need for establishing a connection between the sender and receiver. This protocol supports full duplex communication, which means that data can be sent and received simultaneously between two endpoints. In the context of networking, full duplex allows for efficient data flow since both parties can send and receive information at the same time, thus maximizing throughput.

This capability is essential for applications requiring quick, bidirectional communication, such as video conferencing or online gaming, where delays in establishing a connection or waiting for acknowledgment of packets can disrupt performance and user experience.

Other types of connections, such as half duplex or simplex, do not provide this level of efficiency. Half duplex allows for communication in both directions, but not simultaneously, leading to potential delays as one endpoint must wait for the other to finish transmitting before it can respond. Simplex communication allows data transmission in only one direction, which is inadequate for many interactive applications. Thus, full duplex is the correct characteristic of UDP connections, enabling robust and timely data exchange.