What factor causes delays in data reception using the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)?

The factor that causes delays in data reception using the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is overhead from sequencing segments.

TCP is designed to ensure data is received accurately and in the correct order. When data is transmitted, it is broken into smaller packets, and each packet is assigned a sequence number. This sequencing is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the communication, as it allows the receiving end to reassemble packets in the correct order, even if they are received out of sequence. However, this process adds overhead because the TCP layer must manage these sequence numbers, check for lost or duplicated packets, and potentially request retransmissions. Each of these actions can introduce additional delays, particularly if the network conditions are not ideal or if the packet sizes are large, requiring more time to process and reassemble at the receiving end.

While the other factors can also lead to delays in data transmission, the direct impact of managing sequence segments is a key contributor to the latency experienced in TCP communications. In contrast, packet fragmentation, connection timeouts, and network congestion may result in delays, but they function differently. For example, network congestion relates more to the overall traffic on a network than to the specific management of packet sequences.