Computer Protocols

Protocols are the languages used by computers to
communicate. Just like human language, each
protocol defines the standard rules for
communication between computers. Some
protocols are well known, such as TCP/IP, FTP and
HTTP. These protocols are the languages that
make users able to communicate over the
Internet.
1. TCP/IP
TCP/IP is the protocol for the Internet.
Although other protocols can be used for
internal networks, many administrators
have switched to TCP/IP for internal
networks as well. The TCP/IP protocol is
what binds a numeric address to a
computer's network card, allowing other
machines to find it on the network. The
TCP/IP protocol is created in layers. Each
layer is responsible for a specific point
during the communication process. The
layers consist of the link, application, and
Internet and transport layers. The TCP/IP
protocol also allows users to route traffic
from one network to another, which is
why internal machines can communicate
with the Internet.
2. HTTP
Hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) is the
protocol used to transmit the Web pages
seen on browsers. When a user types in a
website domain, the Web browser adds
"http" to the prefix. This tells the client
machine and the server how to
communicate. HTTP is used to transmit
simple website text files in a standard
language called HTML (hypertext markup
language). HTTP also gives users the
ability to stream media across the
Internet and share images. The HTTP
protocol uses TCP/IP to communicate
between the client machine's browser
and the server.
3. FTP
File transfer protocol (FTP) is a standard
used to transfer and share files. HTTP can
be used for this same process, so FTP has
been widely replaced on some servers.
However, FTP is still used as a directory
structure in internal networks and some
websites. FTP areas are usually provided
by Web hosts to quickly upload Web
pages to a domain host. FTP also gives
users the ability to set permissions and
block unauthorized access to shared files.
Like HTTP, when a user accesses files
using this protocol, the "FTP" prefix is
added to the destination address.
Tips & Warnings
References
V Laurie: Computer Protocols
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