Network Protocols
In all cases, the network must use a protocol, which is a set of standards that govern network
data transmission. A popular network protocol is Transmission Control Protocol/
Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Originally developed by the U.S. Department of Defense to
permit interconnection of military computers, today TCP/IP is the backbone of the
Internet. Other older network protocols include NetBIOS, which was popular for LANs,
and IPX, which is a protocol used by Novell Corporation for older NetWare products.
TCP/IP actually consists of many individual protocols that control the handling of
files, mail, and Internet addresses, among others. A familiar example of a TCP/IP protocol
is the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), which provides a reliable means of copying files from
one computer to another over a TCP/IP network, such as the Internet or an intranet.