TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is a suite of communication protocols used for connecting devices over the internet. TCP provides reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of data between applications running on hosts communicating over an IP network. IP addresses are assigned to each device connected to the internet, allowing them to communicate with each other.
The TCP/IP protocol suite consists of four layers:
- Application Layer - This layer includes protocols like HTTP, FTP, SMTP, and Telnet that allow applications to communicate with each other.
- Transport Layer - This layer provides end-to-end data transfer services and is responsible for ensuring that data is transmitted reliably and without errors. The most commonly used transport protocol is TCP.
- Internet Layer - This layer provides routing and addressing functions for data packets moving across networks.
- Network Interface Layer - This layer defines how data packets are transmitted over physical media such as Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
TCP/IP has become the de facto standard for internet communication and is used by virtually all modern computer systems and mobile devices.