Types of Network Protocols and their Uses
What is Network Protocol?
Network protocols are a set of rules that defines how to communicate between various devices in the network. These protocols define guidelines and conventions for transmitting and receiving data, ensuring efficient and reliable data communication.
Types of Network Protocols
In most cases to communicate over the Internet we use OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model. The OSI model has seven layers. Secure connections, manage network and network communication are the three main tasks which the network protocol performs. The purpose of protocols is to link different devices.
The protocols can be seperate into three main categories :
Network Communication
Network Management
Network Security
Network Communication
Communication protocols are really important for the functioning of a network. They are so crucial that it is not possible to have computer networks without them. These protocols formally set out the rules and formats through which data is transferred. These protocols handle syntax, semantics, error detection, synchronization, and authentication. Below mentioned are some network communication protocol:
Hypertext Transfer Protocol(HTTP) :
It is a layer 7 protocol that is designed for transferring a hypertext between two or more systems. HTTP works on a client-server model, most of the data sharing over the web is done through using HTTP.
Transmission Control Protocol(TCP) :
TCP layouts a reliable stream delivery by using sequenced acknowledgment. It is a connection-oriented protocol i.e., it establishes a connection between applications before sending any data. It is used for communicating over a network. It has many applications such as emails, FTP, streaming media, etc.
User Datagram Protocol(UDP) :
It is a connectionless protocol that lay-out a basic but unreliable message service. It adds no flow control, reliability, or error-recovery functions. UPD is functional in cases where reliability is not required. It is used when we want faster transmission, for multicasting and broadcasting connections, etc.
Internet Protocol(IP) :
It is a protocol through which data is sent from one host to another over the internet. It is used for addressing and routing data packets so that they can reach their destination.
Network Management
These protocols assist in describing the procedures and policies that are used in monitoring, maintaining, and managing the computer network. These protocols also help in communicating these requirements across the network to ensure stable communication. Network management protocols can also be used for troubleshooting connections between a host and a client.
File Transfer Protocol(FTP) :
FTP is a Client/server protocol that is used for moving files to or from a host computer, it allows users to download files, programs, web pages, and other things that are available on other services.
Network Security
These protocols secure the data in passage over a network. These protocols also determine how the network secures data from any unauthorized attempts to extract or review data. These protocols make sure that no unauthorized devices, users, or services can access the network data. Primarily, these protocols depend on encryption to secure data.
Hypertext Transfer Protocol(HTTPS) :
It is the secured version of HTTP. this protocol ensures secure communication between two computers where one sends the request through the browser and the other fetches the data from the web server.
Transport Layer Security(TLS) :
It is a security protocol designed for data security and privacy over the internet, its functionality is encryption, checking the integrity of data i.e., whether it has been tampered with or not, and authentication. It is generally used for encrypted communication between servers and web apps, like a web browser loading a website, it can also be used for encryption of messages, emails, and VoIP.
