03.04 Networking Protocols

03.04 Networking Protocols

Device Address

For a computer to send or receive information on a network, it needs a network address. You can think of a network address in much the same way as a mailing address. A mailing address needs to include a city, street number, and house number. Network addresses work similarly in that they are composed of different parts. Each part lets other devices know where information goes. Network addresses, like mailing addresses, need to be unique. No two devices on the same network can have the same network address. The following table compares two types of networking addresses: the physical address and the logical address.

Internet Protocols

The Internet is a huge, global system that connects computer networks from all over the world. With so many different networks communicating with each other, it's important that they all follow the same set of rules, or protocols. Collectively, these protocols are called the Internet Protocol Suite (or TCP/IP), and they make it possible for millions of individual networks to send each other information. The TCP/IP suite has three protocols that deal specifically with sending and receiving email. The following tables describe a few terms related to Internet and email protocols.

Email Protocols