Network Protocols
The logical mapping between OSI basic reference model and the TCP/IP stack.
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.
There are thousands of different network protocols, but they all perform one of three primary actions:
- Communication
- Network management
- Security
Communication protocols
Communication protocols allow different network devices to communicate with each other. They are used in both analog and digital communications and can be used for important processes, ranging from transferring files between devices to accessing the internet.
Common types of communication protocols
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.
Automation: To automate different processes, such as in smart buildings, cloud technology or self-driving vehicles.
Instant messaging: Instantaneous, text-based communications.
Routing: To permit communication between routers and other network devices.
Bluetooth: Bluetooth devices including headsets, smartphones and computers
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).
Network Management protocols
Define and describe the various procedures needed to effectively operate a computer network.
The functions of network management protocols
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.
Security/Cryptographic protocols
Work to ensure that the network and the data sent over it are protected from unauthorized users.
Common functions of security network protocols
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.
Types of protocols
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP):
A popular communication protocol which is used for communicating over a network. It divides any message into series of packets that are sent from source to destination and there it gets reassembled at the destination.
Internet Protocol (IP):
Designed explicitly as addressing protocol. It is mostly used with TCP. The IP addresses in packets help in routing them through different nodes in a network until it reaches the destination system. TCP/IP is the most popular protocol connecting the networks.
User Datagram Protocol (UDP):
UDP is a substitute communication protocol to Transmission Control Protocol implemented primarily for creating loss-tolerating and low-latency linking between different applications.
Post office Protocol (POP):
Designed for receiving incoming E-mails.
Simple mail transport Protocol (SMTP):
Designed to send and distribute outgoing E-Mail.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP):
Allows users to transfer files from one machine to another. Types of files may include program files, multimedia files, text files, and documents, etc.
Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP):
Designed for transferring a hypertext among two or more systems. HTML tags are used for creating links. These links may be in any form like text or images. HTTP is designed on Client-server principles which allow a client system for establishing a connection with the server machine for making a request. The server acknowledges the request initiated by the client and responds accordingly.
Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS):
A standard protocol to secure the communication among two computers one using the browser and other fetching data from web server. HTTP is used for transferring data between the client browser (request) and the web server (response) in the hypertext format, same in case of HTTPS except that the transferring of data is done in an encrypted format. So it can be said that https thwart hackers from interpretation or modification of data throughout the transfer of packets.
Telnet:
A set of rules designed for connecting one system with another. The connecting process here is termed as remote login. The system which requests for connection is the local computer, and the system which accepts the connection is the remote computer.
Gopher:
Gopher is a collection of rules implemented for searching, retrieving as well as displaying documents from isolated sites. Gopher also works on the client/server principle.
Some other popular protocols act as co-functioning protocols associated with these primary protocols for core functioning.
ARP (Address Resolution Protocol)
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)
IMAP4 (Internet Message Access Protocol)
SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)
RTP (Real-Time Transport Protocol)
RLP (Resource Location Protocol)
RAP (Route Access Protocol)
L2TP (Layer Two Tunnelling Protocol)
PPTP (Point To Point Tunnelling Protocol)
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)
TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol)
