From a practical point of view, networking could be made a lot more simplistic if we combined and renamed the TCP, IP and Ethernet protocols as just ‘Protocol X’ – treating it as just one all encompassing but more complex entity. It would be a more tangible concept for newcomers to the technology making a basic level of understanding easier to achieve. However, if we look in a bit more detail its clear that each protocol plays a key role in providing a reliable end to end data delivery mechanism.
Over the years, many competing protocols have battled for dominance. Token ring once offered a commercially viable alternative to Ethernet. IPX / SPX used to be an alternative to TCP/IP. Commercial developments have helped to define a much clearer networking landscape these days. Ethernet is by far the most cost effective LAN* solution and TCP/IP
is now the language of the internet, so many of the alternatives have fallen by the wayside. It is for this reason that we will focus exclusively on TCP/IP and Ethernet in this guide.
is now the language of the internet, so many of the alternatives have fallen by the wayside. It is for this reason that we will focus exclusively on TCP/IP and Ethernet in this guide.
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