Best Guide To Understand What

Is TCP/IP Model
The excess requirement of e cient and error-free data transmission over
communication channels leads us to the discussion of the topic - what is the
TCP/IP model? This tutorial will easily help to make you understand the
basis and need for the TCP/IP model in the network domain. The TCP/IP is
needed for implementing various network applications during the
transmission of data and information over the communication channel.

What is TCP/IP Model?

The TCP/IP model refers to the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet

Protocol Model. This model is a part of the network domain designed
speci cally for overseeing e cient and error-free transmission of data.

The model works on a four-layered architecture model, where each layer

implicit the required network protocols on the data to be transmitted, which
remodels the data to the most optimum structure for e cient transmission
over the network.

In this tutorial on what is TCP/IP model is, you will understand the working of
each layer in detail to better understand the functioning of the model.
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 The History of TCP/IP
The Internet Protocol Suite, or TCP/IP for short, is the set of protocols that
make up the network layer of the Internet.

• TCP/IP was developed during the Cold War as a way for the U.S.
Department of Defense to connect computers within their networks
and with each other across national boundaries. It's been used since
the late 1960s when it was formalized by DARPA and later adopted by
government agencies and universities worldwide as a common
networking standard.
• The rst version of TCP/IP was ARPANET (1975), which stands for
Advanced Research Projects Administration Network. The name
changed to TCP/IP in 1983, when it became an open standard that
could be used on any network.
• To give researchers access to each other's equipment, they needed to
send messages quickly over long distances without having them re-
transmitted by any intermediate nodes along the way. This necessity
led to the development of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and
Internet Protocol (IP). These protocols were intended for machine-to-
machine connections, such as between computers over local area
networks or wide-area networks.
Prerequisite Layers of OSI Model
To understand the OSI model, it is rst necessary to understand the concept
of layering. Layering is a technique used in computer programming to divide
a complex problem or system into smaller, more manageable parts. The OSI
model is a seven-layer model that divides the complexity of network
communications into seven smaller, more manageable parts, each
responsible for a di erent aspect of the communication process.

The seven layers of the OSI model are:

• Physical layer,
• Data link layer,
• Network layer,
• Transport layer.
• Session layer,
• Presentation layer,
• Application layer.
Each OSI model layer is responsible for a di erent aspect of the
communication process.
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Features of the TCP/IP Model
Below mentioned are some of the features that make the TCP/IP model
stand out in the network concepts:

•
The TCP/IP model is among one of the most important network
concepts that contributed to the working of ARPANET.
• The TCP/IP model comprises four layers: the network access layer, the
internet layer, the transport layer, and the application layer (going from
bottom to top).
• The network model is implemented during network and
communication-related issues.
• Communication between di erent modes of network devices is
possible through the application of various layers.
• The layers in the model provide maintenance of communication
channels, ow control, and reliability check format, among other
applications in the form of protocols.
Now go ahead and continue with the next topic in this tutorial on ‘what is the
TCP/ IP model’, which includes the layers of the TCP/IP model.

Layers of the TCP/IP Model

In this section, you will understand the di erent layers of the model and their
functionality in the network concept:

The TCP/IP model is divided into four di erent layers:

• Application layer
• Transport layer
• Internet layer
• Network Access layer
Each layer performs a speci c task on the data that is being transmitted over
the network channel, and data moves from one layer to another in a preset
pattern as mentioned below:
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The above model represents the ow of data when it is being transmitted
from the sender side. In the case of data being received, the layers of the
model work in reverse order.

Now, take a look at each of the layers in detail:

Application Layer

This is the topmost layer which indicates the applications and programs that
utilize the TCP/IP model for communicating with the user through
applications and various tasks performed by the layer, including data
representation for the applications executed by the user and forwards it to
the transport layer.
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 The application layer maintains a smooth connection between the
application and user for data exchange and o ers various features as remote
handling of the system, e-mail services, etc.

Some of the protocols used in this layer are:

• HTTP: Hypertext transfer protocol is used for accessing the information

available on the internet.
• SMTP: Simple mail transfer protocol, assigned the task of handling e-
mail-related steps and issues.
• FTP: This is the standard protocol that oversees the transfer of les
over the network channel.
Transport Layer

This layer is responsible for establishing the connection between the sender
and the receiver device and also performs the task of dividing the data from
the application layer into packets, which are then used to create sequences.

It also performs the task of maintaining the data, i.e., to be transmitted

without error, and controls the data ow rate over the communication
channel for smooth transmission of data.

The protocols used in this layer are:

• TCP: Transmission Control Protocol is responsible for the proper

transmission of segments over the communication channel. It also
establishes a network connection between the source and destination
system.
• UDP: User Datagram Protocol is responsible for identifying errors, and
other tasks during the transmission of information. UDP maintains
various elds for data transmission such as:
• Source Port Address: This port is responsible for designing the
application that makes up the message to be transmitted.
• Destination Port Address: This port receives the message sent from the
sender side.
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 •
Total Length: The total number of bytes of the user datagram.
•
Checksum: Used for error detection of the message at the destination
side.
Moving on to the next layer, you have:

Internet Layer

The Internet layer performs the task of controlling the transmission of the
data over the network modes and enacts protocols related to the various
steps related to the transmission of data over the channel, which is in the
form of packets sent by the previous layer.

This layer performs many important functions in the TCP/IP model, some of
which are:

1. It is responsible for specifying the path that the data packets will use
for transmission.
2. This layer is responsible for providing IP addresses to the system for
the identi cation matters over the network channel.
Some of the protocols applied in this layer are:

•IP: This protocol assigns your device with a unique address; the IP
address is also responsible for routing the data over the
communication channel.
• ARP: This protocol refers to the Address Resolution Protocol that is
responsible for nding the physical address using the IP address.
The last layer in the network model is the network access layer.
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Network Access Layer

This layer is the combination of data-link and physical layer, where it is

responsible for maintaining the task of sending and receiving data in raw
bits, i.e., in binary format over the physical communication modes in the
network channel.

• It uses the physical address of the system for mapping the path of
transmission over the network channel.
• Till this point in this tutorial on what is TCP/IP model, you understood
the basic idea behind the model and details about its layers, now
compare the model with another network model.
How Does TCP/IP Work?
The TCP/IP protocol suite is the set of communication protocols used to
connect hosts on the Internet. TCP/IP allows computers on the same
network to identify and communicate with each other. TCP/IP is a two-layer
protocol, with the transport layer (TCP) responsible for reliable end-to-end
communication and the Internet layer (IP) accountable for routing packets
from the host to the host.

• At the transport layer, TCP provides a reliable byte-stream service to

applications. TCP guarantees the delivery of data and that data will be
delivered in the same order in which it was sent. TCP uses several
mechanisms to provide this service, including sequence numbers,
acknowledgments, and timeouts.
• At the Internet layer, IP is responsible for routing datagrams (packets)
from host to host. IP does not guarantee the delivery of datagrams, but
it tries to deliver them as best. If a datagram cannot be delivered, IP
will return an error message to the source host.
The TCP/IP protocol suite is the most commonly used protocol suite on the
Internet today, and it is also the protocol suite used by most LANs and
WANs.
 Why is TCP/IP Important?
TCP/IP is essential because it provides an architecture that allows for
virtually instantaneous communication across all types of network media,
such as copper, ber, or wireless. It does this using the Internet Protocol
Suite, which encompasses both the TCP and UDP protocols.

In turn, the TCP Protocol governs how packets move from one place to
another on a network, and the UDP Protocol governs how packets move
within a single machine or between two devices on a local area network
(LAN). Without TCP/IP, there would be no way for computers to
communicate over the internet.

OSI Model vs. TCP IP Model

The TCP/IP model was designed in the 1960s to maintain and explain the
transmission of data, whereas the OSI model is a network concept
speci cally for explaining the communication and working of data and
protocols during the transmission of information.
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 OSI Model TCP/IP Model
The OSI model consists of 7 TCP/IP model comprises 4
layers. layers.
The OSI model has separate This model comprises a session
session and presentation and presentation layer in the
layers. application layer.
The transport layer in this In this model, the transport layer
model provides a packet does not have any such
delivery protocol. protocols.
This model is implemented This model is used as a
during network reference model for the network
communication. channel.

How are TCP/IP and IP Di erent?

• The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is a communication protocol
responsible for ensuring that data is transferred reliably and in order
between the two devices.
• On the other hand, IP is the network layer protocol responsible for
routing network tra c.
While TCP/IP are both crucial protocols on the internet, they serve di erent
purposes.

Functions of TCP/IP Layers

The TCP/IP model is a four-layer model that divides network
communications into four distinct categories or layers. The model is often
referred to as the TCP/IP stack. The four important layers are the application
layer, the transport layer, the network layer, and the link layer.

• The Application Layer: The application layer is closest to the end user.
And this is the layer that users interact with directly, including protocols
such as HTTP, FTP, and SSH. This layer is responsible for providing
applications with access to the network.
• The Transport Layer: The transport layer ensures that data is delivered
reliably and e ciently from one point to another. This layer handles
data transmission between hosts, including protocols like TCP and
UDP.
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 • The Internet Layer: The network layer is responsible for routing data
through the web. This layer delivers data packets from one host to
another, including the IP protocol.
• The Link Layer: The link layer provides reliable data links between the
two nodes — for example, protocols like ethernet and Wi-Fi.
Protocols Used
There are four main protocols used in TCP/IP: the Transmission Control
Protocol (TCP), the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), the Internet Protocol (IP),
and the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP).

• TCP ensures that data is delivered reliably and in order.

• UDP is used for applications where data doesn't need to be delivered
reliably or needs to be delivered quickly without the overhead of TCP.
• IP is the protocol that routes data from one computer to another.
• ICMP is used for error-checking and for managing tra c congestion.
All four of these protocols are essential for the proper functioning of the
internet. They work together to ensure that data is delivered quickly, reliably,
and in the appropriate order.

There are some other protocols also notable, and there are,

• Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)

• File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
• Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
• Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
• Domain Name System (DNS)
•
TCP Characteristics
• TCP is a connection-oriented protocol that establishes a connection
between two nodes before transmitting any data. All data sent over a
TCP connection is checked for accuracy and retransmitted until the
data is received correctly. This reliability makes TCP well-suited for
applications that require a high degree of error-checking and for large
data transfers. And also, TCP operates at the lowest level of the OSI
model, transmitting data in segments, which are then reassembled into
whole frames by the receiver.
• TCP also provides congestion control, which helps prevent network
congestion by regulating the rate at which data is sent.
• Additionally, TCP can control the ow of data, allowing data to be sent
at di erent rates depending on the application's needs.
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 Advantages and Disadvantages of the TCP/IP
Model
With tons of bene ts, there are also some potholes here with these models.

Advantages of TCP/IP:

• Scalability: The TCP/IP model is highly scalable and can accommodate

small and large networks.
• Reliability: The model is robust and reliable, making it suitable for
mission-critical applications.
• Flexibility: It is very exible, allowing for interoperability between
di erent types of networks.
• Security: The various protocols in the model provide robust security
measures.
• Cost-e ectiveness: TCP/IP is relatively inexpensive to implement and
maintain.
Disadvantages of TCP/IP:

• Complexity: The model is quite complex and requires a certain degree

of expertise to con gure and maintain.
• Vulnerability: Because of its complexity, it is vulnerable to attack.
• Performance: Performance can be degraded due to network
congestion and latency.

Uses of TCP/IP
Here are some of the most valuable uses of TCP/IP models:

• World Wide Web: TCP/IP transfers data between web browsers and
servers.
• Email: Applications such as Outlook, Thunderbird, and Gmail use TCP/
IP protocols to send and receive emails.
• File Transfer: FTP, SFTP, and other le transfer services rely on TCP/IP
to move les from one computer to another.
• Networking: TCP/IP links computers together in a network.
• Virtual Private Networks: VPNs use TCP/IP to encrypt data before it
travels across a public or private network.
• Internet of Things: Many smart home devices use TCP/IP to
communicate and transfer data.
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 • Voice Over Internet Protocol: VOIP services such as Skype and Google
Voice use TCP/IP to transmit calls over the internet.
Conclusion
In this ‘What is TCP/IP model’ tutorial, you understood the network
communication details about data, which includes the basic idea behind the
working of the model, the functioning of each layer in the model, and also
how the data is restructured to achieve e cient transmission over the
communication channel.

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