TCP/IP Explained: The Backbone of Modern Internet Communications!

TCP/IP is named after the two protocols that are critical to Internet communications: the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP). The term TCIP/IP suite encompasses even more protocols: the ((Internet Control Message Protocol) (ICMP) and the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) are also part of this suite. In other words, TCP/IP is not a specific protocol in itself, but a group of different protocols, all of which have in common that they have become standards for network communication.

The address assignment of the networked computers is regulated in the Internet Protocol. One also speaks of the IP address, which uniquely identifies each computer connected to the network. The protocol assigns such a unique address to each computer in the network. So that Internet users do not have to remember the complex number combinations of the IP address, the DNS converts it into readable domains such as www.example.com. When a website is called up, the user’s browser (client) sends a request to the web server via the Internet Protocol. This then sends the requested website back to the client’s IP address.

For a long time, TCP/IP was in competition with protocols such as X.25 (ITU-T), IPX/SPX (Novell), AppleTalk (Apple) or NetBEUI (Microsoft Windows) . It is one of the first network protocols (and the only successful one) that is universally and independently available for all common operating systems and almost every conceivable network. Due to its universal usability, however, it can only be configured with a little basic knowledge; the integration of different network segments requires special hardware (routers) and in-depth specialist knowledge.

At the latest with the triumph of the Internet, which requires the use of IP addresses, but also because of its great flexibility and routing ability, this network protocol was able to assert itself – TCP/IP Explained: The Backbone of Modern Internet Communications