title: How to receive TCP data (not HTTP) via PHP on WAMP/LAMP?
body: <p>I'm playing around with GPS Trackers and they send hex to a server via TCP. I've setup a LAMP server and would like to process and store data from trackers into mysql.</p>
  
  <p>I've got tons of experience doing http web applications however I have zero experience playing w/ tcp sockets and processing data directly from it and not via HTTP, and dont know if that's possible.</p>
  
  <p>1) I've read around and found support for TCP and stuff but my question is, can PHP alone process TCP data? I kinda thought PHP is on top of Apache HTTP only.</p>
  
  <p>2) Also, if php does support direct TCP processing (or i guess i should say listening), is it "normally" supported by shared hosts? or do i have to request such feature?</p>
  
  <p>3) Can you recommend an open-source package of some sort that can pretty much take care of receiving and storing raw data in mysql? All i really need is to get that data into mysql and i can do magic on it via php after.</p>
  
  <p>PS
  Do i even need to do this TCP way? I can change the PORT the device is sending to, and make it port 80. That way Apache will receive it and perhaps I can have an index.php file processing the raw data (? ) </p>
  
  <p>Hoping to find guidance and leads to get me started on the right path. :)</p>