TCP/IP is an industry-standard protocol stack (a layered set of
protocols) that enables communication in different networking
environments. Because of the interoperability of TCP/IP among
different types of computers, most networks support TCP/IP.
TCP/IP supports routing and enables computers to communicate
across network segments. Because of this feature, TCP/IP is the
standard protocol for communications over the Internet. Its
reliable delivery and global use have made TCP/IP a necessity
for accessing worldwide information networks, such as the
Internet. However, you must configure TCP/IP on all computers
with which you want to use the protocol to communicate.
TCP/IP offers the following advantages:
-
It is an industry standard. As an industry standard, it is
an open protocol that is not controlled by a single
organization.
-
It contains a set of utilities for connecting dissimilar
operating systems. Connectivity between two computers does
not depend on the network operating system of either
computer.
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It uses scalable, cross-platform, client-server
architecture. TCP/IP can expand or shrink to meet the future
needs of a network.