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TCP Socket Options: Tuning for Performance

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Socket options: tuning the kernel's TCP behavior

Every TCP socket is a file descriptor with dozens of configurable options. The defaults work for most applications — but understanding these options is crucial for high-performance servers, latency-sensitive applications, and troubleshooting.

Developer-facing options control: Nagle's algorithm (TCP_NODELAY), buffer sizes (SO_RCVBUF/SO_SNDBUF), connection reuse (SO_REUSEADDR/SO_REUSEPORT), and keep-alives (SO_KEEPALIVE).

Packets in motion — click to inspect:

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