TCP/IP
TRANSMISSION CONTROL PROTOCOL /
INTERNET PROTOCOL
HISTORY
The Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency, the research branch of the U.S.
Department of Defense, created the TCP/IP
model in the 1970s for use in ARPANET, a wide
area network that preceded the internet.
TCP/IP was originally designed for the Unix OS,
and it has been built into all of the OSes that
came after it. The TCP/IP model and its related
protocols are now maintained by the Internet
Engineering Task Force.
WHAT IS TCP/IP?
What is TCP/IP? TCP/IP stands for Transmission
Control Protocol/Internet Protocol and is a suite
of communication protocols used to interconnect
network devices on the internet.
TCP/IP is also used as a communications
protocol in a private computer network (an
intranet or extranet).
The entire IP suite -- a set of rules and
procedures -- is commonly referred to as TCP/IP.
TCP and IP are the two main protocols, though
others are included in the suite.
The two main protocols in the IP suite serve
specific functions.
TCP defines how applications can create channels
of communication across a network.
It also manages how a message is assembled into
smaller packets before they are then transmitted
over the internet and reassembled in the right
order at the destination address.
IP defines how to address and route each packet to
make sure it reaches the right destination.
Each gateway computer on the network checks this
IP address to determine where to forward the
message
SOME TCP/IP PROTOCOLS
INCLUDE:
HypertextTransfer Protocol (HTTP) handles
the communication between a web server
and a web browser.
HTTP Secure handles secure communication
between a web server and a web browser.
File Transfer Protocol handles transmission of
files between computers.
WORKING PRINCIPLE
TCP/IP uses the client-server model of
communication in which a user or machine
(a client) is provided a service, like sending
a webpage, by another computer (a server)
in the network.
Collectively, the TCP/IP suite of protocols is
classified as stateless, which means each
client request is considered new because it
is unrelated to previous requests. Being
stateless frees up network paths so they can
be used continuously.
THE LAYERS OF TCP/IP MODEL
The functionality of the TCP/IP model is divided into
4 layers, each including specific protocols.
All these layers work collaboratively to transmit
data from one layer to another.
1. The application layer provides applications with
standardized data exchange. Its protocols include
HTTP, FTP, Post Office Protocol 3 and so on. At the
application layer, the payload is the actual
application data.
2. The transport layer is responsible for
maintaining end‐to‐end communications across the
network. TCP handles communications between
hosts and provides flow control, multiplexing and
reliability.
3. The network layer, also called the internet layer,
deals with packets and connects independent
networks to transport the packets across network
boundaries. The network layer protocols are IP and
Internet Control Message Protocol, which is used
for error reporting.
4. The physical layer, also known as the network
interface layer or data link layer, consists of
protocols that operate only on a link ‐‐ the network
component that interconnects nodes or hosts in
the network. The protocols in this lowest layer
TCP/IP MODEL LAYERS
ADVANTAGES OF TCP/IP
It helps establish a connection between
different types of computers;
It works independently of the OS;
It supports many routing protocols;
It uses client‐server architecture that is
highly scalable;
It can be operated independently;
It supports several routing protocols;
DISADVANTAGES OF
TCP/IP
It is complicated to set up and manage;
It transport layer does not guarantee
delivery of packets;
It is not easy to replace protocols in TCP/IP;
It does not clearly separate the concepts of
services, interfaces and protocols, so it is not
suitable for describing new technologies in
new networks; and
It is especially vulnerable to a
synchronization attack, which is a type of
denial‐of service attack in which a bad actor
uses TCP/IP
TCP/IP MODEL vs. OSI
MODEL
TCP/IP MODEL vs. OSI
MODEL
The TCP/IP protocols lay out standards on which
the internet was created, while the OSI model
provides guidelines on how communication has to
be done. Therefore, TCP/IP Is a more practical
model.
OSIis a conceptual model that is not practically
used for communication. Rather, it defines how
applications can communicate over a network.
TCP/IP, on the other hand, is widely used to
establish links and network interaction.
TheTCP/IP header size is 20 bytes, while the OSI
header is 5 bytes.
TCP/IP MODEL vs. OSI
MODEL
They are both logical models.
They define networking standards.
They divide the network communication
process in layers.
TCP/IP uses just one layer (application) to
define the functionalities of the upper layers,
while OSI uses three layers (application,
presentation and session).
In TCP/IP, the protocols were developed first,
and then the model was developed. In OSI,
the model was developed first, and then the
protocols in each layer were developed.
