In the TCP three-way handshake, which message is the second step?

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Multiple Choice

In the TCP three-way handshake, which message is the second step?

Explanation:
In this handshake, the goal is to establish a connection by synchronizing sequence numbers and acknowledging the other side’s request. The second step is the server’s reply that has both the SYN and ACK flags set. This SYN-ACK message acknowledges the client’s initial SYN and provides the server’s own initial sequence number, letting both sides agree on where to start transmitting data. After receiving that, the client sends a final ACK to complete the three-way handshake. A plain ACK would occur as the final step after the SYN-ACK, and FIN is used to terminate a connection, not to establish one.

In this handshake, the goal is to establish a connection by synchronizing sequence numbers and acknowledging the other side’s request. The second step is the server’s reply that has both the SYN and ACK flags set. This SYN-ACK message acknowledges the client’s initial SYN and provides the server’s own initial sequence number, letting both sides agree on where to start transmitting data. After receiving that, the client sends a final ACK to complete the three-way handshake. A plain ACK would occur as the final step after the SYN-ACK, and FIN is used to terminate a connection, not to establish one.

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