What Is TCP/IP?

Some more benefits include:

Flexibility

TCP/IP is a flexible communication model. It allows different networks to communicate without additional customization to the underlying protocol. Network engineers can deploy new networks to existing ones without disrupting the operation.

Open source

TCP/IP allocates IP addresses to devices that connect to the internet. It ensures the data packet reaches the correct device. Organizations can use TCP/IP without paying a fee because it is an open-source model.

Reliability

TCP/IP provides a common standard to send and receive data reliably. It solves common problems affecting data exchange on the internet, such as data loss or corruption.

The TCP/IP model represents how computers disassemble and assemble information with the TCP/IP protocol for networking. It has four layers, with the application layer at the top and the data link layer at the bottom. Some of the layers in the TCP/IP model are a combination of different layers from the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI). OSI is an industrial standard for building networking devices.

Application layer

This layer provides protocols that structure data software programs, such as emails, messengers, and web browsers. It does not contain communication instructions, as the lower layers handle them. You can think of the application layer as a sender that generates data payloads for the lower layers to deliver to the right destination.

Transport layer

The transport layer, or TC layer, packs the application data into the TCP segment to provide a reliable data connection between computers. The TCP layer is analogous to a mail parcel that secures the product.

Internet layer

The internet layer, also known as the IP layer or network layer, ensures the TCP segment and the encapsulated data find their way to the destination. You can think of the internet layer as the pen that writes the recipient’s address on the parcel.

Data link layer

The data link layer, or network access layer, sends and receives data packets on the physical network. Also called the network interface layer, it includes standards that regulate how computers send data over the network interface card, router, and WiFi or Ethernet cables. It combines the data link layer and physical layer of the OSI model. You can think of it as the delivery van that transmits data from sender to receiver.

The TCP/IP data packet comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) packet and Transport Control Protocol (TCP) segment.

IP packet

The Internet Protocol suite ensures data packets are delivered to the target recipient. It has an IP header and IP data. The IP header contains the sender’s and receiver’s IP address, along with necessary information ensuring the IP packet reaches the intended destination. The IP data section holds the message for the recipient. It also carries the TCP segment.

TCP segment

The TCP segment provides the appropriate fields to ensure a reliable internet connection between devices when exchanging data. It consists of a TCP header and TCP data.

TCP header

The TCP header contains several fields that regulate data exchange—for example, the source port, destination port, checksum, and sequence number.

TCP data

The TCP data section contains the actual data that you want to send to a different computer. In most cases, this section encapsulates the application layer protocol, such as the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). FTP is a standard communication system for transferring large files.

TCP/IP is one of several internet protocols in computer networking.

UDP

User datagram protocol (UDP) is a transport layer protocol that allows devices connected to the internet to send data faster. Unlike TCP/IP, UDP is not a connection-oriented protocol. This means that computers do not have to establish a connection before exchanging data. While UDP is faster, it cannot assure reliability as there is no sequence tracking in the data packet.

HTTPS

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is a communication method web browsers use to retrieve information securely from the web server. It runs on the application layer of the TCP/IP model. TCP/IP sets up a reliable channel that HTTPS uses to encrypt and send web data.

SMTP

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is a networking model that allows computers to send and receive email. SMTP is an application layer protocol that runs on top of TCP/IP to provide secure and reliable email delivery. Both protocols allow email servers to establish and maintain active networking paths with each other.

ICMP

Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) is a special protocol that allows computers and network devices to diagnose communication issues on a local network or the internet. Unlike TCP/IP, ICMP does not carry data. Instead, ICMP contains a network status that helps IT administrators solve network issues.