Network protocol: What is a network protocol and how it works?

By having a great diversity of devices interconnected in Industry 4.0, communication is a priority among equipment, intending to receive, emit, analyze, distribute or even just display data and information for processes. But these wouldn’t be possible without the network protocols.

In the following paragraphs, we will discuss network protocols, what they are, the classification of network protocols and how they work, in general.

Index

1. What is a network protocol?
2. Network protocol’s history
3. How do network protocols work?
4. OSI and TCP/IP models in network protocols
5. Network protocol types

What is a network protocol?

A network protocol is a communication standard; this means it contains the necessary information and rules about how computers exchange data with each other. Different types of interaction are required for many tasks, such as the simple exchanges of messages.

Thus, each protocol assumes a specific task in the context that is required, covering sectors such as industrial or business. The network protocols are developed by entities, organizations, or people who work in industry, research institutes and more.

After that, they get published and accepted in international conferences to establish communication standards such as the ISO (International Standard Organization), and the OSI (Open Systems Interconnect) architecture, to mention some examples. Later we will see the characteristics of this model and another one, TCP/IP. In general, network protocols carry out the following tasks:

• Establish a reliable connection between the teams involved in the communication.
• Directly sent data packets to the correct recipient.
• If the packets do not arrive, the protocol ensures they are forwarded.
• Error-free transmission of information packets.
• Organization and merging of incoming data packets.
• Transmit encrypted data, so it can’t be read by third.

For this reason, network protocols are defined as guidelines, norms or rules by which a user communicates through the Internet (network or set of local networks distributed through the world) or Intranet (that works like the Internet but is for computers set for a specific user’s group).

Both ends of the communication channel follow these rules for proper information exchange. It also has the task of avoiding manipulation by third parties, whose environments are also known as cybersecurity.
There are many types: IP or Internet Protocols, for example, this is digital communication basis as we know it. This protocol allows us to maintain digital communication, as we all do now. Network protocols such as IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol), SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) and POP3 (Post Office Protocol) are also used in daily life in the industry so that, within the same installation and send emails.

In addition, digital communication is essential for people to maintain their usual lifestyle. Thus, it could be serious if all the world’s wireless network processes fail at some point.

Therefore, various systems were created to enable successful communication, as well as network protocols because they play an important role in optimizing the development of computer communications. These protocols are classified in various bases such as some maps for the transport layer, others for network layers protocols, and in this way, they move between each one of them.

However, we will leave that for later and now, we will continue with a bit of historical context and how they arose.

Network protocols history

To talk about the history of network protocols, go back to the implication derived between the United States and the extinct USSR to establish a hegemonic power in science and military technology.

In 1957, the American organization ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) created ARPANET, the Internet predecessor. Therefore, during the decade of the sixties, an essential part of the protocols that exist today were developed so the purpose, a common language had to be used regardless of the region where it was being used.

The protocol used at that time in the machines connected to the ARPANET was called NCP (Network Control Protocol), but over time it gave way to another advanced protocol: TCP/IP.

It is worth mentioning that this protocol is made up from other different, highlighting the two that prevail in its name, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and IP (Internet Protocol).

How do network protocols work?

The network protocol’s operation works according to the type in question. To do this, we exemplify the search for IP, and, in addition, we will delve into the network protocol layers of two different models to understand how they act and connect.

The simplest example is when we search for something in our browsers. The client uses his system browser from which he sends a request on the Internet, once he visits that URL, the call is routed through the channel to the DNS server and the IP is looked up. The DNS installs a cache, a high-speed data storage layer that collects transient information, so that future requests are returned to an IP address. After IP resolution, the client’s requirements arrive at that host’s web server.

OSI and TCP/IP models in network protocols

If we want to define network protocols, there are two types of layered models in which they are found:

• OSI Model: a regulatory system made up of seven levels that define the interconnection of systems in the different phases, also known as layers, through to travel from one device to another in a telecommunications network.

• TCP/IP model: with the TCP protocol, information is divided into small “information packets” that travel independently and are assembled again at the end of the process, while IP oversees finding the destination route.