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What are WebSockets and How Does It Work?
Published
22nd Sep, 2023
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Consider yourself attempting to speak with a friend at a busy party. But hearing one another with all the activity and noise around you is difficult. Websockets are like a secret channel that lets you speak with your friend immediately and unhindered. It is a powerful technology that can be used in many web applications to provide real-time, bidirectional communication between a client and a server. They are used in various applications, real-time analytics, remote monitoring, notifications, alerts, etc. Their applicability is not limited to these examples, and they can be used in a wide range of applications where real-time communication is needed. In general, it is a powerful and versatile technology that can provide a more interactive and dynamic user experience in web applications.
What is a WebSocket?
A web socket is a communication protocol with full-duplex communication channels on a single TCP connection between a server and a client. This protocol utilizes a ‘handshake process’ to establish a client-server connection wherein both parties can communicate and receive data. The protocol is implemented as a JavaScript API in web browsers. It can be used with server-side programming languages like Node.js, Java, and Python.
It allows for real-time, two-way communication between a web browser and a server, enabling the server to send data to the browser without requesting it explicitly.
Now that you have an idea about what WebSockets are, you must be wondering how it’s different from HTTP (a request-response protocol) and what protocol WebSocket is used for. A WebSocket differs from HTTP as its connection is kept open, and data is transferable between the client and server at any time. This makes it well-suited for real-time web applications like online gaming, chat applications, and stock tickers. To learn more about the distinction between websockets and HTTP, you can check out some of the best Software Development courses online.
What are WebSockets Used for?
WebSockets are used for real-time, two-way communication between web browsers and servers. Some everyday use cases for WebSockets include:
- Applications for real-time chat: They enable users to chat in real-time by sending and receiving messages quickly without reloading the page.
- Applications for real-time gaming: WebSockets are well suited for real-time gaming applications, enabling in-game participant communication.
- Real-time financial data: They are used to update real-time financial data, such as stock prices and market data by streaming to web browsers via stock tickers and other financial applications.
How Do WebSockets Work?
As you now have an answer to what is the WebSocket protocol, you may wonder how does it work? Here's a brief overview of how WebSockets work:
- The client initiates a WebSocket connection. Now, what is a WebSocket connection? It is simply an attempt to connect to the server by sending an HTTP handshake request with an “Upgrade” header indicating that it wants to use the WebSocket protocol.
- Once the WebSocket connection is established, the client and server can send data to each other in real-time using the WebSocket API.
- Both the client and server can send "ping" and "pong" messages to ensure that the connection is still alive and detect any connection issues.
- The connection can be closed by either the client or the WebSocket server, either explicitly or due to a network error or timeout. Check out some Full Stack Web Development courses to learn more about how it work.
Drawbacks of WebSockets
While WebSockets offer many benefits for real-time communication, there are some potential drawbacks to consider:
- Complexity: WebSocket implementations can be more complex and challenging to work with compared to simpler technologies like HTTP, resulting in more potential bugs.
- Server resource usage: WebSocket connections can be resource-intensive for servers that maintain many open connections. This can lead to scaling challenges or increased costs.
- Firewall and proxy issues: They use a different protocol than HTTP, and some firewalls and proxies may not allow WebSocket traffic to pass through. This can lead to compatibility issues.
- Lack of standardization: While the WebSocket protocol is standardized, there needs to be more standardization around using them in practice.
- Security considerations: WebSockets introduce new security considerations, particularly protecting against attacks like cross-site scripting (XSS) and cross-site request forgery (CSRF).
- Limited browser support: While modern web browsers support WebSockets, older browsers may not, limiting the potential audience for applications that rely on this technology.
WebSockets can be a powerful tool for real-time communication, but their implementation and use requires careful consideration of the potential drawbacks and limitations.
When can a Web Socket be Used?
WebSockets can be used in numerous applications. Some common ones are mentioned below.
1. Real-Time Web Applications
Real-time web applications can use WebSockets to implement various features, such as chat applications, online gaming, collaborative document editing, real-time financial trading systems, and many others. With it, clients can receive updates from the server in real time without polling or other workarounds, resulting in a more responsive and interactive user experience. One important consideration when using this is ensuring that they are used securely. In particular, it's essential to ensure that the WebSocket connection is authenticated correctly and that all data sent over the connection is encrypted to prevent eavesdropping or tampering.
2. Gaming Applications
Another example is gaming applications. They are widely used in gaming applications to provide real-time communication and collaboration between players. With WebSockets, game developers can build multiplayer games that run entirely within a web browser without requiring users to install any additional software or plugins.
It provide a reliable and efficient way for clients to communicate with the game server and each other. This allows for real-time updates, such as player movement, score updates, and chat messages, without requiring frequent page reloads or polling. However, game developers need to carefully manage the number of connections and ensure that the server can handle the expected number of clients without sacrificing performance.
3. Applications
WebSockets also allow for bidirectional communication, which means that chat servers can push new messages to clients in real-time rather than waiting for the client to request updates. This is important in chat applications where fast and responsive messaging is crucial.
In addition to enabling real-time messaging, it can implement advanced features in chat applications such as file sharing, video and audio calls, and screen sharing. These features can be implemented in real-time without additional software or plugins.
It's important to note that web-sockets chat applications require a server to maintain a persistent connection with each connected client. As the number of connected clients grows, this can put a strain on server resources. Therefore, it's essential to manage the number of connections carefully.
To ensure safety, you can use the WSS protocol in all three significant applications. WSS is a secure version of the WebSocket protocol, which provides a persistent, low-latency, and bidirectional connection between a client and a server. It stands for "WebSocket Secure Protocol," and is used to establish a secure, bidirectional communication channel between a client and a server, similar to the way the HTTP protocol secures HTTP communication. Opt for KnowledgeHut’s training for Web Development to see where you can use WebSockets, HTTP, etc.
Reasons to Consider WebSockets for Real-time Communication
Given the protocol used by WebSockets , there are several reasons to consider WebSockets for real-time communication:
- Low-latency and real-time updates: WebSockets provide a persistent connection between the client and server, allowing for real-time updates without frequent page reloads or polling. This is especially important for applications like chat, gaming, and financial trading, where even a slight delay can significantly impact the user experience.
- Bidirectional communication: They allow for bidirectional communication, which means that clients can send data to the server and receive updates from the server in real-time. This enables the implementation of interactive features such as live chat, collaborative editing, and multi-player gaming.
- Cross-platform support: WebSockets are supported by all modern web browsers, meaning real-time communication can be implemented on a wide range of devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
- Scalability: They can be used to implement real-time communication on a large scale, as they allow for many clients to be connected to a server simultaneously without the need for frequent HTTP requests.
- Reduced server load: They require less server load than traditional HTTP requests, as they allow for multiple requests to be sent over a single connection. This can help reduce server load and improve performance.
Differences Between HTTP and WebSocket Connection
Let’s explore how WebSockets is different from that of HTTP. The following table below helps you to know the basic difference between these two.
| Sr No. | WebSocket | HTTP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | They can send data from clients to server and vice versa. In simple terms they are bidirectional in nature. | The client will send the user's request as an HTTP request, and only after getting this request will the server reply. Thus making it an unidirectional connection. |
| 2 | In this connection the server and client can converse with one another at the same time independently. | In this type of connection the traffic flows in a single direction at a given point of time. |
Here are some key differences between an HTTP and a WebSocket connection:
- Connection Type: HTTP is a request-response protocol where the client sends a request to the server, and the server responds with a response. WebSocket is a persistent, bidirectional communication protocol where both the client and server can send and receive data anytime.
- Connection Establishment: Every time a client needs new data, it must send a request to the server since HTTP connections are established on a per-request basis. On the other hand, WebSocket connections are made once and active for the whole session.
- Data Format: HTTP sends data in discrete messages, where each message is independent. WebSocket sends data in a stream format, where messages can be sent and received at any time and may be split across multiple packets.
- Headers: Several headers are included in HTTP requests and answers that give further details about the transferred data. WebSocket messages don't have headers because the connection is always kept open.
How to Protect Your WebSocket APIs?
Here are some steps to protect your WebSocket APIs:
- Use HTTPS: WebSockets should always be used over HTTPS to encrypt the traffic between the client and server. This prevents man-in-the-middle attacks and protects the data being transmitted.
- Implement authentication: Implement a secure authentication mechanism for your WebSocket API to ensure that only authorized users can access it. This can be done through a username/password, API key, or token-based authentication.
- Enforce rate limiting: Limit the requests a client can make to your API within a specific period to prevent DDoS attacks and other types of abuse. You can use tools like throttling or rate-limiting libraries to enforce this.
- Use firewalls and access controls: Use firewalls and access controls to restrict access to your WebSocket API. For example, you can restrict access to specific IP addresses or domains.
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WebSockets Wind-up
In this article, we have explored what a WebSocket connection is and what is a WebSocket protocol. WebSockets are an essential technology that enables two-way communication between a client and a server over a single, long-lived connection. They are designed to provide real-time, low-latency communication between a web application and a server, allowing for a more interactive and dynamic user experience. One of the primary benefits is that they eliminate the need for the client to repeatedly poll the server for updates, as is the case with traditional HTTP requests. This not only reduces the load on the server but also improves the responsiveness of the web application. Overall, it is a powerful and versatile technology that benefits web developers and end users significantly. They have opened up new possibilities for building real-time web applications and have helped make the web more interactive and dynamic.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is WebSocket better than HTTP?
It's not a question of whether one is better than the other but which technology is more appropriate for a given use case. If a web application requires frequent updates or real-time communication, then WebSockets may be the better choice. HTTP may be more appropriate if a web application primarily sends requests to a server to retrieve data. In many cases, a combination of both technologies may be used to provide the best user experience.
2. Can WebSockets be hacked?
Like any technology, they can be vulnerable to security threats if not properly implemented and secured. However, if implemented correctly and with appropriate security measures, WebSockets can securely transmit data between a client and a server.
3. Which language is best for WebSockets?
They can be implemented in various programming languages, and the choice of language depends on various factors, such as the application requirements, performance needs, and the development team's expertise. Some popular languages are Python, Ruby, Java, JavaScript, and C++.
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