Introduction

Protocols are standard methods of transmitting and processing various kinds of information in
computers. Protocols are established by international agreement and ensure that computers
everywhere can talk to one another in a network. Therefore Network Protocol is a set of rules
that governs the communications between computers on a network. The Rules of Network
Protocol include guidelines that regulate the access method, allowed physical topologies, types
of cabling and speed of data transfer. There are a variety of protocols for different kinds of
information and functions which include;
1. Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
When information is sent over the Internet, it is generally broken up into smaller pieces or
"packets". The use of packets facilitates speedy transmission since different parts of a message
can be sent by different routes and then reassembled at the destination. It is also a safety measure
to minimize the chances of losing information in the transmission process. TCP is the means for
creating the packets, putting them back together in the correct order at the end, and checking to
make sure that no packets got lost in transmission. If necessary, TCP will request that a packet be
resent.
2. Internet Protocol (IP)
Internet Protocol Provides the mechanism to use software to address and manage data packets
being sent to computers in a given time. Every computer on the Internet has to have its own
unique address known as the IP address. Every packet sent will contain an IP address showing
where it is supposed to go. A packet may go through a number of computer routers before
arriving at its final destination and IP controls the process of getting everything to the designated
computer. Note that IP does not make physical connections between computers but relies on
TCP for this function. IP is also used in conjunction with other protocols that create connections.
3. Ethernet
Ethernet protocol uses an access method called Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision
Detection (CSMA/CD). This is a system where each computer listens to the cable before sending
anything through the network. If the network is clear, the computer will transmit. If some other
nodes have already transmitted on the cable, the computer will wait and try again when the line
is clear. Sometimes, two computers attempt to transmit at the same instant. A collision occurs
when this happens. Each computer then backs off and waits a random amount of time before
attempting to retransmit. With this access method, it is normal to have collisions.. However, the

delay caused by collisions and retransmitting is very small and does not normally effect the
speed of transmission on the network. The Ethernet protocol allows for linear bus, star, or tree
topologies. The Ethernet protocol is by far the most widely used one
4. Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)
A different type of protocol is Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP). It defines a small
number of messages used for diagnostic and management purposes. It is also used by Ping and
Traceroute. ICMP provides management and error reporting to help manage the process of
sending data between computers.
5. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
Email requires its own set of protocols and there are a variety, both for sending and for receiving
mail. The most common protocol for sending mail is Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).
When configuring email clients, an Internet address for an SMTP server must be entered.
6. User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
This protocol is used together with IP when small amounts of information are involved. It should
be noted that a datagram is almost the same as a packet except that sometimes a packet will
contain more than one datagram. It is simpler than TCP and lacks the flow-control and errorrecovery functions of TCP. Thus, it uses fewer system resources. This protocol is an unreliable
connection less protocol used to control the management of application level services between
computers.
7. File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) allows file transfer between two computers with login required.
Generally, it provides for some simple file management on the contents of a remote computer. It
is an old protocol and is used less than it was before the World Wide Web came along. Today, it
is primary use is uploading files to a Web site. Sites that have a lot of downloading (software
sites, for example) will often have an FTP server to handle the traffic. If FTP is involved, the
URL will have ftp: at the front

8. TFTP - Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP).

Allows file transfer between two computers with no login required. It is limited, and is intended
for diskless stations
9. Hypertext Transfer Protocol

Web pages are constructed according to a standard method called Hypertext Markup Language
(HTML). An HTML page is transmitted over the Web in a standard way and format known as
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). This protocol uses TCP/IP to manage the Web
transmission.
A related protocol is "Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer" (HTTPS), first
introduced by Netscape. It provides for the transmission in encrypted form to provide security
for sensitive data. A Web page using this protocol will have https: at the front of its Uniform
Resource Locator
10. Point to Point Protocol (PPP)
PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) is a protocol for communication between two computers using
a serial interface, typically a personal computer connected by phone line to a server. For
example, your Internet server provider may provide you with a PPP connection so that the
provider's server can respond to your requests, pass them on to the Internet, and forward your
requested Internet responses back to you. PPP uses the Internet protocol (IP) (and is designed to
handle others). It is sometimes considered a member of the TCP/IP suite of protocols. Relative to
the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model, PPP provides layer 2 (data-link layer)
service. Essentially, it packages your computer's TCP/IP packets and forwards them to the server
where they can actually be put on the Internet. Point to point protocol (PPP) is a protocol which
is in the form of serial line data encapsulation that is an improvement over Serial Line Internet
Protocol

Reference
Gudgin M, Hadley M, Moreau J. J, Nielsen H. F (2002) W3C Node "Simple Object Access
Protocol (SOAP) 1.1" (See http://www.w3.org/TR/2000/NOTE-SOAP-20000508/).
http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/PPP (Accessed on 6th December, 2014)
http://www.comptechdoc.org/independent/networking/guide/netcategories.html (Accessed on 6th
December, 2014)