Understanding HTTP/3: Benefits and Differences from Previous Versions

As internet users, we all need fast, secure and efficient connections. HTTP/3 was developed to meet exactly this need. This new protocol will further enhance our internet experience and will be a fundamental building block for future web applications. So what is HTTP/3 and why is it so important? Let's explore together.

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HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is a protocol that enables communication between web browsers and servers. This protocol has evolved with the spread of the internet and has undergone many changes. These changes are designed to provide a faster and safer internet experience.

 

  • The first version of HTTP, HTTP/1.0, was introduced in 1996. This version was sufficient for basic web pages to be downloaded. However, as internet traffic increased, the performance of this version became inadequate.

  • Later, HTTP/1.1 was released in 1999. This version made web pages download faster by reusing TCP connections. However, there were also some disadvantages in this version. For example, TCP connections could only download one web page at a time, and there would be delays when multiple pages were downloaded.

  • Later, HTTP/2 was released in 2015. This version made it possible to download multiple web pages over a single TCP connection and support compressed data. This has become a protocol that offers a faster internet experience.

  • HTTP/3 was released in 2018 and unlike HTTP/2, it runs on the QUIC protocol. This is designed to provide a faster and safer internet experience. QUIC provides a faster connection compared to traditional TCP connections and avoids delays when downloading multiple web pages at the same time.

 

What Is HTTP/3 ?

HTTP/3 (HTTP-over-QUIC) is a network protocol. This protocol is built on HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and is designed to speed up communication between web browsers and servers, make it more secure and use less resources.

HTTP/3 runs on a protocol called QUIC (Quick UDP Internet Connections). QUIC provides a faster connection compared to traditional HTTP connections built on TCP (Transmission Control Protocol). In addition, QUIC is more resilient to errors during connection and reduces the problems of latency and disconnections experienced by TCP/IP connections.

 

What Are The Benefits of HTTP/3 ?

HTTP/3 provides many advantages over traditional HTTP protocols. We can list these advantages as follows:

 

  • Faster connection establishment time: Since HTTP/3 runs on the QUIC protocol, the connection establishment time is faster. This allows web pages to load faster.

  • Faster data transfer: HTTP/3 can download multiple web pages over a single connection. In addition, the QUIC protocol speeds up retransmissions and avoids delays in case of packet loss.

  • A more secure connection: HTTP/3 is integrated with TLS 1.3 (Transport Layer Security), thus providing a more secure connection. This ensures safer downloading of web pages and data protection.

  • Less data usage: HTTP/3 uses less data by compressing data. This performs better especially on low-power devices such as mobile devices and high-latency networks.

  • Fewer disconnections: The QUIC protocol is designed to prevent disconnections, resulting in fewer disconnections.

All these benefits provide a faster, safer and more efficient internet experience.

 

Differences of HTTP/3 from HTTP/1 and HTTP/2

HTTP/3 differs significantly from HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2. The most important of these differences can be listed as follows:

  • Protocol: HTTP/3 works on QUIC protocol while HTTP/2 and HTTP/1.1 works on TCP protocol.

  • Connection Establishment Time: HTTP/3 establishes a faster connection thanks to the "0-RTT" feature developed with the QUIC protocol. This feature reduces the time required to reconnect to the server by using the information saved on previous connections. HTTP/2 and HTTP/1.1 do not have this feature.

  • Connection Management: HTTP/3 can handle multiple HTTP requests over a single connection, thanks to the QUIC protocol. This is also possible in HTTP/2, but in HTTP/1.1 a new connection must be established for each request.

  • Packet Loss: Thanks to HTTP/3, QUIC protocol, it speeds up resending processes and prevents delays in case of packet loss. This performs better, especially on networks with high latency. On the other hand, HTTP/2 and HTTP/1.1 resend slower in case of packet loss.

  • Security: HTTP/3 is integrated with TLS 1.3 (Transport Layer Security) and provides a more secure connection. This is also possible in HTTP/2, but TLS support is optional in HTTP/1.1.

  • Data Usage: HTTP/3 provides less data usage by compressing data. This performs better especially on low-power devices such as mobile devices and high-latency networks. HTTP/2 also has data compression, while HTTP/1.1 does not.

  • Usage Area: HTTP/3 is ideal for applications that require live data streams such as videos, games and applications. HTTP/2 and HTTP/1.1 are mostly used for web pages.

These differences make HTTP/3 a faster, safer and more efficient protocol compared to previous versions.

source: https://blog.bytebytego.com

How Does the HTTP/3 Protocol Work ?

HTTP/3 runs on QUIC, a UDP-based protocol developed by Google, rather than a TCP connection. QUIC provides both data migration functions and security features built-in.

HTTP/3 handles communication between client and server as follows:

  • The client sends a connection request to the server.

  • The server sends a connection response over the QUIC protocol and sends the connection to the client along with the authentication credentials (cryptographic credentials).

  • The client validates the connection using the server's authentication information and communication begins.

  • The client sends HTTP/3 requests to the server specifying its requests and the resources it requests.

  • In response to the request, the server sends resources and other necessary data in HTTP/3 responses.

  • The client processes the responses it receives and requests more data from the server if necessary.

  • When the communication ends, both parties terminate the connection.

HTTP/3 runs on the QUIC protocol, resulting in faster connection time and better performance. It also helps reduce connection interruptions and provide more secure communication.

 

HTTP/3 Compatible Servers and Browsers

As the HTTP/3 protocol is still in development and not yet fully released, the number of HTTP/3 compatible servers and browsers is still limited. However, below are some servers and browsers that support HTTP/3:

 

Servers Supporting HTTP/3:

  • Cloudflare: Cloudflare was one of the first major companies to support HTTP/3 and still supports HTTP/3.

  • Caddy: One of the first servers to support HTTP/3.

  • Apache: Started adding HTTP/3 support recently.

  • NGINX: Although it has not yet added support for HTTP/3, it is still in development.

 

HTTP/3 Supported Browsers:

  • Google Chrome: Google added HTTP/3 support to the Chrome browser.

  • Mozilla Firefox: Mozilla has added HTTP/3 support to the Firefox browser.

  • Microsoft Edge: Microsoft has started adding HTTP/3 support to the Edge browser.

  • Apple Safari: Although Apple has not yet added HTTP/3 support for the Safari browser, it is said to be planning to add it soon.

 

HTTP/3 is expected to have a wider usage area in the future. However, currently, the number of servers and browsers that support HTTP/3 is limited, and further development and deployment is required for widespread use of the protocol.

 

HTTP/3 and Security

HTTP/3 provides several important security advantages:

  • Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3: HTTP/3 is integrated with TLS 1.3. TLS ensures that data transfer between websites is encrypted and therefore protects against attackers from eavesdropping and reading data packets.

  • Zero RTT Connection Establishment: HTTP/3's QUIC protocol can quickly reconnect to an already established secure connection, thanks to its zero RTT (Round Trip Time) connection establishment. This makes the secure connection between server and client faster and more secure.

  • Embedded Latency Reduction: Because HTTP/3 runs on the QUIC protocol, it speeds up resending and avoids delays in case of packet loss. This increases security by preventing attackers from reading and modifying the contents of the packets.

All these features enable HTTP/3 to provide a more secure connection and safer downloading of web pages and data protection.

 

HTTP/3 and CDNs (Content Delivery Network)

CDNs are distributed networks of servers that are geographically distributed around the world. They store copies of a website's static content, such as images, videos, and scripts, and serve users from the server closest to their location. This reduces the distance data has to travel, thereby reducing latency and improving the overall performance of the website.

HTTP/3 and CDNs (Content Delivery Network) are closely related because CDNs play an important role in improving website performance and speed, and HTTP/3 has the potential to further enhance these benefits.

HTTP/3 can improve CDN performance in several ways:

  • Faster connection setup: HTTP/3 uses the QUIC protocol, which speeds up connection setup. This allows CDNs to respond faster and serve content to users more quickly.

  • Latency reduction: HTTP/3's improvements to resend and disconnection allow CDNs to reduce latency and serve content faster.

  • A more secure connection: HTTP/3 is integrated with TLS 1.3, which helps CDNs provide a more secure connection. This allows users to securely receive content and communicate.

All this enables HTTP/3 and CDNs together to provide a faster, safer and more efficient web experience.

HTTP/3 is a new protocol that provides a faster, safer and more efficient internet experience compared to traditional HTTP protocols. Working on the QUIC protocol, HTTP/3 offers many advantages such as faster connection times, faster data transfer, a more secure connection, less data usage and less connection interruptions. Although the use of HTTP/3 is limited at the moment, it is expected to have a wider usage area in the future.