What is the TCP/IP Protocol?

Process

Autor

September 14, 2023

5 min

This article will review what is and how the TCP protocol works, among other topics.

We first need to know that the TCP and IP protocols independently have different functions. However, by joining both terms, we refer to a set of protocols that allow communication in the various nodes of networks.

Let’s start by defining each protocol that determines it: TCP and IP.

Please keep reading to find out what the TCP/IP protocol is, what elements make it up, what the 4 layers are related to it, and how it works.

What is IP or Internet Protocol?

Now, the Internet Protocol, better known as IP (Internet Protocol), addresses data packets, also known as datagrams, and exchanges them to a connectionless network whose orientation is directed to the packets. This aims to find a connection between the different possibilities in a network.

We know all this process as routing.

To do this, hosts and devices have their IP address, as we have seen previously. Such a physical address is used to address individual hosts and works for entire networks. Thus, IP routing does not mean sending data packets to specific hosts but works to direct the packets to the indicated network.

Once we have explained the internet protocol, let's see what TCP is.

What is TCP or Internet Control Protocol?

The TCP, also known as control and transmission protocol, is a standardization system that allows the bidirectional exchange of information from terminal to terminal, that is, from one end to the other through segments. It was developed in the 1990s and is still valid due to its adaptability and use.

It works through browsers or servers through TCP software so that both the server and the client have a port and an IP address.

Now that we know the two protocols, let's review the TCP/IP, let's go.

What is the TCP/IP network protocol?

As we see before, the TCP/IP communication protocol comprises the two protocols described above. The first transmission control (TCP) and, conversely, the internet protocol (IP). TCP/IP belongs to a family of communication tools for switching and transporting data packets in a decentralized global network.

It is worth mentioning that it allows communication from one end to another of a host through the ends of the network. We require communication protocols where LAN (Local Area Network) and WAN (Wide Area Network) are used.

The Internet's great success as a communication network is due to the TCP/IP protocol because the data transfers are mostly achieved.

The central task of TCP/IP is to guarantee that information packets or files reach the recipient within a decentralized network.

In summary, the TCP/IP protocol suite, TCP as a connection-oriented protocol, takes on the task of datagrams and acting in case of packet loss.

But, how does the TCP/IP protocol work? The way TCP works is to take the files or data stream from applications, split it, add a header, and pass it to the Internet Protocol, the IP.

At the receiver, the data files are restructured in order and transferred to the correct application, for which the assignment is done via a port number, which allows several applications to establish connections with different communication partners simultaneously. This section describes a file’s path:

It begins when you enter a command, of course, and send a message. It ends when the corresponding application on the receiving system receives the packet.

TCP/IP protocol’s characteristics

The TCP/IP protocol allows all applications to transfer and exchange data on diverse networks. No matter where these networks are, let’s review: the internet protocol ensures that datagrams reach their destination. TCP controls the transmission of datagrams and guarantees the correct flow and the entire operation assigned.

Also, the physical and logical data transmission type should not influence applications. The user should also not worry about establishing and deleting the connection if the correct address is known. This way, TCP/IP will establish, terminate, and transmit the connection to the destination. It doesn’t matter which application or which transmission path is used.

Therefore, let’s look at some advantages of this kind of protocol:

It is a global standard and is not tied to any manufacturer.
It can be implemented on simple computers and even supercomputers.
It is easy to use with LAN and WAN.
It has an application independent of the transmission system.

TCP/IP protocols’ disadvantages

However, in TCP/IP, there are some disadvantages, and we must mention some of them. As we saw, datagrams are divided into small fragments, and to reach their destination, whoever receives a data packet must know what to do with it. Thus, the data packet is preceded by a record known as a header.

Implementation will get complicated if the application places specific demands, such as size, on the transmission system. This is because the internal communication between application and transmission via TCP/IP is not provided.

Also, executing a coordinated exchange of requested information and connection quality between nodes over networks is very difficult. In this context, there is also talk of net neutrality. This requires that each package be treated equally.

This has the disadvantage that certain data packets cannot be prioritized and has the consequence that some applications on the Internet need to work better with TCP/IP.

Now that we have seen the features, advantages, and disadvantages of TCP/IP protocols, it is time to know the 5 TCP/IP layers and their characteristics. Traditionally, just 4 of them are known, but now, we need to review 5, due to the functionality.

TCP/IP layer protocol

As we saw in the Network protocols entry, the different types are made up of various layers that make them up. The TCP/IP protocol is no exception. Therefore, below, we will talk about the different levels that make them up:

Application layer: data access

We can start with the first application layers, which determine the IP datagrams through the network and cover network access protocols that change and appear as new technologies are generated. Among the tasks performed by this technology, we can find:

IP datagrams' structure and definition of the addressing scheme.
Datagram routing
Datagram fragmentation and assembly.
Generation and sending flow control by messages through the datagram network.

Transport layer: data flow

The next is the layer carried out from host to host, also known as the transport layer. The datagram journey begins when the user sends a message or enters a command into a system that needs access to a remote point. The TCP/IP protocol formats the packet, so the transport layer protocol can process that information set.

Among some applications of this layer, we find:

Telnet
FTP
SMTP
HTTP
Services like DNS and NES

So, the main objective of this layer is to create a virtual data flow between the sending and receiving applications, which is distinguished by the transport port number. This number indicates a defined location to receive or send information. In addition, the transfer protocol layers offer other services; delivering reliable data in a certain order is one of them.

Internet layer: preparing packets for delivery

The TCP UDC and SCTP transport protocols transfer the fragments and datagrams to the Internet layer, where the IP protocol processes these further. The IP protocol prepares packets for delivery by assembling them into units called IP datagrams. It then fixes the addresses to be delivered correctly to the receiving host.

The IP protocol adds an IP header to the packet segment, and information is added by the TCP or UDP protocol. The information in this IP includes the addresses of the sending and receiving hosts, the datagram length, and the order. This information needs to be fragmented when it exceeds the allowed size for network packets.

Network access layer: data link

The data link layer protocols format the IP datagram as a frame. These protocols add a third header and footer to the datagram frame. The frame header contains a cyclic redundancy check field, which can look for errors during the transmission over the network media.

In this way, we reviewed the TCP/IP network protocol, the characteristics of components, and how every layer is formed and interconnected. We can say that a TCP/IP is fundamental in multiple applications.

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