How do I properly close a socket?

  This question is usually asked by people who try close(), because they
  have seen that that is what they are supposed to do, and then run
  netstat and see that their socket is still active.  Yes, close() is
  the correct method.  To read about the TIME_WAIT state, and why it is
  important, refer to ``2.7 Please explain the TIME_WAIT state.''.