Understanding the TCP/IP protocol suite

TCP/IP is the most popular networking protocol in existence. Not only is it the primary protocol suite of the Internet, it's something that you can find on just about any device that supports network connectivity in one form or another. Your computer understands this suite very well, but nowadays your phone, TV, and perhaps even a kitchen appliance or two supports this technology. It really is everywhere. Although TCP/IP is often referred to as a protocol, it's actually a protocol suite made up of several individual protocols. From the name, I'm sure you can gather that two of them are the TCP and IP protocols. In addition, there is also a third, UDP, which is part of this protocol suite as well.

TCP is an acronym for Transmission Control Protocol. It's responsible for breaking down network transmissions into sequences (also known as packets or segments), which are then sent to the target node and reassembled back into the original...