Chapter Summary

This chapter introduces the various protocols that are commonly found in modern network environments. A protocol is a set of rules that govern how communication and the exchange of data take place between devices on a network.

Several protocols are used today, including TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, AppleTalk, and NetBEUI. Each offers unique features, advantages, and disadvantages, so certain protocols are more suitable for some network implementations than others. Protocols such as TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, and AppleTalk are in fact protocol suites that consist of several other protocols. Each individual protocol provides a different function for the protocol suite.

TCP/IP is the protocol used for the Internet and is the most widely implemented protocol today. IPX/SPX has lost ground in recent years; even NetWare is putting more emphasis on TCP/IP in its network operating system, leaving IPX/SPX for older NetWare versions. AppleTalk is a protocol suite that is used for Macintosh networks. On smaller networks, the largely self-configuring NetBEUI can be used, but it has limitations that make it unsuitable for many of today's networked environments.