TYPES OF

NETWORK
PROTOCOLS
 WHAT ARE NETWORK PROTOCOLS?

A network protocol is an established set of rules that

determine how data is transmitted between different
devices in the same network. Essentially, it allows
connected devices to communicate with each other,
regardless of any differences in their internal processes,
structure or design. Network protocols are the reason
you can easily communicate with people all over the
world, and thus play a critical role in modern digital
communications.
 HOW DO NETWORK PROTOCOLS WORK?

Network protocols take large-scale processes

and break them down into small, specific tasks or
functions. This occurs at every level of the
network, and each function must cooperate at
each level to complete the larger task at hand.
The term protocol suite refers to a set of smaller
network protocols working in conjunction with
each other.
 TYPES OF NETWORK PROTOCOLS

• Communication protocols include basic data

communication tools like TCP/IP and HTTP.
• Management protocols maintain and govern
the network through protocols such as ICMP
and SNMP.
• Security protocols include HTTPS, SFTP, and
SSL.
 NETWORK COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS

• Communication protocols are vital to the functioning of a network.

In fact, computer networks can't exist without these protocols.
• These protocols formally describe the formats and rules by which
data is transferred over the network. This is a must-have for
exchanging messages between your computing systems and in
telecommunications, applying to both hardware and software.
• Communication protocols also handle authentication and error
detection as well as the syntax, synchronization and semantics that
both analog and digital communications must abide by to function.
 NETWORK COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS

• HTTP – One of the most familiar protocols, hyper text transfer protocol
(HTTP) is often referred to as the protocol of the internet. HTTP is an
application layer protocol that allows the browser and server to
communicate.
• TCP – Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) separates data into packets
that can be shared over a network. These packets can then be sent by
devices like switches and routers to the designated targets.
• Short Message Service - (SMS) This communications protocol was
created to send and receive text messages over cellular networks. SMS
refers exclusively to text-based messages. Pictures, videos or other media
require Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), an extension of the SMS
protocol.
 NETWORK COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS

• UDP – User Datagram Protocol (UDP) works in a similar way

to TCP, sending packets of data over the network. The key
difference between the two is that TCP ensures a connection
is made between the application and server, but UDP does
not.
• IRC – Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a text-based
communication protocol. Software clients are used to
communicate with servers and send messages to other
clients. This protocol works well on networks with a large
number of distributed machines.
 NETWORK COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS

Common types of communication protocols include the following:

• Automation: These protocols are used to automate different
processes in both commercial and personal settings, such as in
smart buildings, cloud technology or self-driving vehicles.
• Instant messaging: Instantaneous, text-based communications
on smartphones and computers occur because of a number of
different instant messaging network protocols.
• Routing: Routing protocols permit communication between
routers and other network devices. There are also routing
protocols specifically for ad hoc networks.
 NETWORK COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS

Common types of communication protocols include the following:

• Bluetooth: Ever-popular Bluetooth devices — including headsets,
smartphones and computers — work due to a variety of different
Bluetooth protocols.
• File transfer: If you have ever moved files from one device to
another, either via a physical or digital medium, you’ve used file
transfer protocols (FTP).
• Internet Protocol: Internet Protocol (IP) allows data to be sent
between devices via the internet. The internet could not operate
as it currently does without IP.
 NETWORK MANAGEMENT PROTOCOLS
• Network management protocols help define the policies and procedures
used to monitor, manage and maintain your computer network, and
help communicate these needs across the network to ensure stable
communication and optimal performance across the board.
• Generally, network managers can use a management protocol to
troubleshoot connections between host and client devices. Management
protocols provide network managers with the host connection's status,
availability, packet or data loss, and other related information about the
health of the network connection.
• The policies managed by management protocols can be applied to all
devices on the network, including computers, switches, routers and
even servers.
 NETWORK MANAGEMENT PROTOCOLS

• SNMP – Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is used to

monitor and manage network devices. This TCP-based protocol
allows administrators to view and modify endpoint information to
alter behavior of devices across the network. SNMP relies on the
use of agents to collect and send data to an overarching SMNP
manager, which in turn queries agents and gets their responses.
• ICMP – Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) is primarily used
for diagnostic purposes. Managed devices on the network can use
this protocol to send error messages, providing information
regarding network connectivity issues between devices.
 NETWORK MANAGEMENT PROTOCOLS

The functions of network management protocols include the following:

• Connection: These protocols establish and maintain stable connections
between different devices on the same network.
• Link aggregation: Link aggregation protocols allow you to combine
multiple network connections into one link between two devices. This
works to increase the strength of the connection and helps sustain the
connection should one of the links fail.
• Troubleshooting: Troubleshooting protocols allow network
administrators to identify errors affecting the network, evaluate the
quality of the network connection, and determine how administrators
can fix any issues.
 NETWORK SECURITY PROTOCOLS

• Network security protocols work to ensure that data

in transit over the network's connections stays safe
and secure. These protocols also define how the
network secures data from any attempts to review or
extract said data by illegitimate means. This helps
ensure that no unauthorized users, services, or
devices access your network data, and this works
across all data types and network mediums being
used.
 NETWORK SECURITY PROTOCOLS

• Usually, network security protocols rely on

encryption and cryptography to secure data so
that only special algorithms, formulas and logical
keys can make this data accessible. Some of the
most popular protocols for network security
include Secure Socket Layer (SSL), Secure File
Transfer Protocol (SFTP) and Secure Hypertext
Transfer Protocol (HTTPS).
 NETWORK SECURITY PROTOCOLS

• SSL – A Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is a network security

protocol primarily used for ensuring secure internet
connections and protecting sensitive data. This protocol
can allow for server/client communication as well as
server/server communication. Data transferred with SSL is
encrypted to prevent it from being readable.
• SFTP – Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), as its name
might suggest, is used to securely transfer files across a
network. Data is encrypted and the client and server are
authenticated.
 NETWORK SECURITY PROTOCOLS

• FTPS - File Transfer Protocol Secure (FTPS) is an

extension of the popular File Transfer Protocol that
supports Transport Layer Security (TLS) and the
new defunct Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).
• HTTPS – Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure is the
secure version of HTTP. Data sent between the
browser and server are encrypted to ensure
protection.
 NETWORK SECURITY PROTOCOLS
Common functions of security network protocols include the
following:
• Encryption: Encryption protocols protect data and secure
areas by requiring users to input a secret key or password in
order to access that information.
• Entity Authentication: Entity authentication protocols create
a system that requires different devices or users on a network
to verify their identity before accessing secure areas.
• Transportation: Transportation security protocols protect data
while it is transported from one network device to another.
 FTPS VS SFTP AND SSL VS SSH

• To protect file transfers from threats, secure file transfer

protocols were developed. Of these protocols, two have
gained widespread adoption - FTPS and SFTP. FTPS actually
gets its protection from SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets
Layer/Transport Layer Security), while SFTP gets its own from
SSH (Secure Shell)
• The key difference between SSH vs SSL is that SSH is used for
creating a secure tunnel to another computer from which you
can issue commands, transfer data, etc. On the other end,
SSL is used for securely transferring data between two parties
– it does not let you issue commands as you can with SSH.
SFTP builds on secure shell protocol (SSH) and adds on file
transfer capabilities. FTPS builds on file transfer protocol
(FTP) and adds on a security and encryption layer. It uses a
single connection through only one port, making it easier to install
HTTPS is HTTP with encryption and verification. The only difference
between the two protocols is that HTTPS uses TLS (SSL) to encrypt
normal HTTP requests and responses, and to digitally sign
those requests and responses. As a result, HTTPS is far more
 ARE HTTPS SITES COMPLETELY SAFE?

• Fraudulent HTTPS sites are a favorite gateway to this information

for hackers who are savvy in how to easily provide a false sense of
security. It is relatively simple for them to set up a fake HTTPS site
with that trusted padlock in attacks that are often described as
“low risk, high reward.”
• While HTTPS encrypts the entire HTTP request and response, the
DNS resolution and connection setup can reveal other information,
such as the full domain or subdomain and the originating IP
address, as shown above. Additionally, attackers can still analyze
encrypted HTTPS traffic for “side channel” information.
 ARE HTTPS SITES COMPLETELY SAFE?

• While your information may be secure while it is

transmitted, the website you're visiting could still
accidentally slip malware to your computer, or
host it on its own servers, harvesting your
information or installing a virus.
 WHICH PROTOCOL IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

• For startups and small businesses, TCP and IP communication

protocols are widely used and easy to manage.
• For faster, more efficient file transfer, your business may
benefit from using FTP protocols instead of relying on HTTP
alone.
• For security, HTTPS is ubiquitous and reliable for data transfer
over the network.
• When managing networks, SNMP is still very widely used and is
made even more efficient when working in conjunction with
communication protocols like UDP.