CompTIA Network+ Practice Test 2025 - Free Network+ Practice Questions and Exam Prep Guide

TCP offloading is a technique that enhances network performance by transferring certain functions of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) from the server's CPU to the network interface card (NIC). This transfer allows the hardware to handle tasks such as segmentation, acknowledgment, and error checking, which would typically consume valuable CPU resources if performed in software. By offloading these responsibilities, the server can allocate its processing power to other tasks, thereby improving the overall efficiency and speed of data processing.

This method is particularly beneficial in environments where high network throughput is important, as it can also decrease latency and improve the overall responsiveness of applications that rely heavily on TCP connections. Other options presented do not align with the primary purpose of TCP offloading, as it does not inherently increase the number of servers, enhance encryption directly, or reduce data transfer speeds.