Internet protocol suite

Whencomputersconnect and transmitdatabetween each other on theInternet,they follow a set of rules to do so. These rules are universal; all computers throughout the Internet must follow them. Otherwise, the Internet would not function as computers would not be able to transmit data in a meaningful and useful way. These rules are calledprotocols.There are many different protocols, each for different purposes, and they all together are called theInternet protocol suite.The two most important protocols are theTransmission Control Protocol(TCP) and theInternet Protocol(IP), which ensure data is delivered at the right place, and without errors, and is what computers use when they accessservers(computers that have the data that is accessed on the Internet) on theWorld Wide Web,as well as foremail,and the like. Other protocols include theNetwork Time Protocol,which ensures clock synchronisation in computers, and there are many others.

The TCP/IP model and other related protocols are maintained by theInternet Engineering Task Force,whose parent organisation is theInternet Society,and which also cooperates closely with other standards bodies such as theW3C(World Wide Web Consortium) andISO/IEC.

Other websites

• Internet History– Pages on Robert Kahn, Vinton Cerf, and TCP/IP (reviewed by Cerf and Kahn).
• RFC675– Specification of Internet Transmission Control Program, December 1974 Version
• RFC1180A TCP/IP Tutorial – from the Internet Engineering Task Force (January 1991)
• TCP/IP FAQ
• The TCP/IP Guide– A comprehensive look at the protocols and the procedures/processes involved
• A Study of the ARPANET TCP/IP Digest
• TCP/IP Sequence Diagrams
• Daryl's TCP/IP Primer– Intro to TCP/IP LAN administration, conversational style
• A Protocol for Packet Network Intercommunication, Cerf & Kahn, IEEE Trans on Comms, Vol Com-22, No 5 May 1974