what is network protocol

what is network protocol

Network Protocols and TCP/IP Protocol Suite

A network protocol (or simply protocol) is a set of rules that defines how network devices communicate. Protocols set the standard for communication between network devices.

The transmission of data from a computer or its reception in a computer involves a number of entities (hardware and software) and each of which requires a protocol. The TCP/IP protocol suite is a five layers protocol architecture defined for the Internet. Figure shows the layers of the TCP/IP protocol suite.

• Physical Layer defines the network topology, cabling, encoding for data into signal etc. Network hardware such as network interface card (NIC), cables, hubs are associated with the physical layer.

• Network Interface Layer (Data Link Layer) handles the framing of data (known as data frame), error detection and correction, medium access control (controls the transmission in a shared medium), etc. This layer mainly facilitate the transmission of frame between directly connected devices based on their MAC address in a LAN. Example protocols in this layer are CSMA/CD or CSMA/CA.

• Internet (Network) Layer interconnects networks (or LANs) to create an internetwork (or WAN). It facilitates the forwarding of packets from a computer of one network to a computer of another network. The Internet Protocol (IP) is the most important protocol in this layer. Internet Protocol uses IP address to identify the connected devices and to forward data to them. Protocols in this layer are implemented in the operating system.

• Transport Layer provides error-free and in-order data delivery between applications of two computers. The transmission control protocol (TCP) provides the above services along with congestion control. Another well-known protocol in this layer is user datagram protocol (UDP). Both the protocols are implemented in the operating system.

• Application Layer facilitate the applications to access the network. Well-known protocols are FTP, HTTP, DNS, etc.

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