Scribd
Upload
10 views4 pages

What Is TCP

TCP/IP, or Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, is a communication standard that enables devices to send and receive data over the internet by breaking it into packets for accurate transmission. Developed in the 1970s, it has become the global standard for internet communications, operating through a four-layer model: network access, internet, transport, and application. TCP ensures data delivery accuracy while IP handles addressing, and together they facilitate efficient internet communication.

Uploaded by

mrymmslmyr
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
10 views4 pages

What Is TCP

TCP/IP, or Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, is a communication standard that enables devices to send and receive data over the internet by breaking it into packets for accurate transmission. Developed in the 1970s, it has become the global standard for internet communications, operating through a four-layer model: network access, internet, transport, and application. TCP ensures data delivery accuracy while IP handles addressing, and together they facilitate efficient internet communication.

Uploaded by

mrymmslmyr
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

What Is TCP/IP?

It’s easy to ignore how the internet works when you visit websites or use your favorite apps.
But a lot depends on computers, servers, and modems communicating with one another
behind the scenes. TCP/IP is a communication standard that helps power the internet. Learn
what TCP/IP is, how it works, and the differences between TCP and IP. Then, get a VPN to
keep all your internet traffic secure.
TCP/IP is a data link protocol used on the internet to let computers and other devices send and
receive data. TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol and makes it
possible for devices connected to the internet to communicate with one another across
networks.
Originally developed in the 1970s by DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency in the US), TCP/IP started out as just one of many internet protocols. The TCP/IP
model later became the standard protocol for ARPAnet, the modern internet’s predecessor.
Today, TCP/IP is the global standard for internet communications.
TCP/IP determines how computers transfer data from one device to another. This
data needs to be kept accurate so that the receiver gets the same information that
the sender originally sent.
So what is TCP/IP and how does it work? To ensure that each communication
reaches its intended destination intact, the TCP/IP model breaks down data
into packets and then reassembles the packets into the complete message on the
other end. Sending the data in small packets makes it easier to maintain accuracy
versus sending all the data at once.
After a single message is split into packets, these packets may travel along different
routes if one route is congested. It’s like sending a few different birthday cards to the
same household by mail. The cards begin their journey at your home, but you might
drop each card into a different mailbox, and each card may take a different path to
the recipient’s address.

How does the TCP/IP model work?


Whenever you send something over the internet — a message, a photo, a file — the
TCP/IP model divides that data into packets according to a four-layer procedure. The
data first goes through these layers in one order, and then in reverse order as the
data is reassembled on the receiving end.

A diagram of how the TCP/IP model divides data into packets and sends it through 4
different layers.
The TCP/IP model works because the whole process is standardized. Without
standardization, communication would go haywire and slow things down — and fast
internet service relies on efficiency. As the global standard, the TCP/IP model is one
of the most efficient ways to transfer data over the internet.
Other common internet protocols
The TCP/IP model covers many internet protocols, which define how data is
addressed and sent over the internet. Common internet protocols include HTTP,
FTP, and SMTP, and all three are often used in conjunction with the TCP/IP model.
 HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) governs the workings of web browsers
and websites.
 FTP (File Transfer Protocol) defines how files are sent over a network.
 SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is used to send and receive email.
VPN protocols, such as OpenVPN, create secure and private networks through the
internet. AVG Secure VPN uses powerful data encryption to secure your internet
connection, while hiding your IP address behind one of our many VPN servers in
over 50 locations worldwide.
Try AVG Secure VPN today and get secure and private browsing with a 7-day free
trial.
What is the difference between TCP and IP?
TCP and IP are separate computer network protocols. The difference between
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and IP (Internet Protocol) is their role in the
data transmission process. IP obtains the address where data is sent (your computer
has an IP address). TCP ensures accurate data delivery once that IP address has
been found. Together, the two form the TCP/IP protocol suite.
In other words, IP sorts the mail, and TCP sends and receives the mail. While the
two protocols are usually considered together, other protocols, such as UDP (User
Datagram Protocol), can send data within the IP system without the use of TCP.
But TCP requires an IP address to send data. That’s another difference between
IP and TCP.
What are the layers of the TCP/IP model?
There are four layers of the TCP/IP model: network access, internet, transport,
and application. Used together, these layers are a suite of protocols. The TCP/IP
model passes data through these layers in a particular order when a user sends
information, and then again in reverse order when the data is received.

Layer 1: Network Access Layer


The network access layer, also known as the data link layer, handles the physical
infrastructure that lets computers communicate with one another over the internet.
This covers ethernet cables, wireless networks, network interface cards, device
drivers in your computer, and so on.
The network access layer also includes the technical infrastructure — such as
the code that converts digital data into transmittable signals — that makes network
connection possible.

Layer 2: Internet Layer


The internet layer, also known as the network layer, controls the flow and routing
of traffic to ensure data is sent speedily and accurately. This layer is also
responsible for reassembling the data packet at its destination. If there’s lots of
internet traffic, the internet layer may take a little longer to send a file, but there will
be a smaller chance of an error corrupting that file.

Layer 3: Transport Layer


The transport layer provides a reliable data connection between two
communicating devices. It’s like sending an insured package: The transport layer
divides the data in packets, acknowledges the packets it has received from the
sender, and ensures that the recipient acknowledges the packets it receives.

Layer 4: Application Layer


The application layer is the group of applications that let the user access the
network. For most of us that means email, messaging apps, and cloud storage
programs. This is what the end-user sees and interacts with when sending and
receiving data.

Which IP addresses do TCP/IP work with?


Whether you have an IPv4 or IPv6 address, you’re likely already using the TCP/IP
model. This is the standard model for most existing internet infrastructure. There are
different categories of IP addresses that may affect your privacy or how the protocol
works — such as public vs. local IP addresses or static vs. dynamic IPs — but they
still follow the standard TCP/IP model.
.

You might also like