TCP/IP Model

Read Discuss Courses Video

Prerequisite – Layers of OSI Model

The OSI Model we just looked at is just a reference/logical model. It was designed to describe the
functions of the communication system by dividing the communication procedure into smaller and
simpler components.

TCP/IP was designed and developed by the Department of Defense (DoD) in the 1960s and is
based on standard protocols. It stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol.
The TCP/IP model is a concise version of the OSI model. It contains four layers, unlike the seven
layers in the OSI model.

The number of layers is sometimes referred to as five or four. Here In this article, we’ll study five
layers. The Physical Layer and Data Link Layer are referred to as one single layer as the ‘Physical
Layer’ or ‘Network Interface Layer’ in the 4-layer reference.

What Does TCP/IP Do?

The main work of TCP/IP is to transfer the data of a computer from one device to another. The
main condition of this process is to make data reliable and accurate so that the receiver will
receive the same information which is sent by the sender. To ensure that, each message reaches its
final destination accurately, the TCP/IP model divides its data into packets and combines them at
the other end, which helps in maintaining the accuracy of the data while transferring from one end
to another end.

What is the Difference between TCP and IP?

TCP and IP are different protocols of Computer Networks. The basic difference between TCP
(Transmission Control Protocol) and IP (Internet Protocol) is in the transmission of data. In simple
words, IP finds the destination of the mail and TCP has the work to send and receive the mail.
UDP is another protocol, which does not require IP to communicate with another computer. IP is
required by only TCP. This is the basic difference between TCP and IP.

How Does the TCP/IP Model Work?

Whenever we want to send something over the internet using the TCP/IP Model, the TCP/IP
Model divides the data into packets at the sender’s end and the same packets have to be
recombined at the receiver’s end to form the same data, and this thing happens to maintain the
accuracy of the data. TCP/IP model divides the data into a 4-layer procedure, where the data first
go into this layer in one order and again in reverse order to get organized in the same way at the
receiver’s end.

For more, you can refer to TCP/IP in Computer Networking.

Layers of TCP/IP Model

1. Application Layer
2. Transport Layer(TCP/UDP)
3. Network/Internet Layer(IP)
4. Data Link Layer (MAC)
5. Physical Layer

The diagrammatic comparison of the TCP/IP and OSI model is as follows:

TCP/IP and OSI

1. Physical Layer

It is a group of applications requiring network communications. This layer is responsible for

generating the data and requesting connections. It acts on behalf of the sender and the Network
Access layer on the behalf of the receiver. During this article, we will be talking on the behalf of
the receiver.

2. Data Link Layer

The packet’s network protocol type, in this case, TCP/IP, is identified by the data-link layer. Error
prevention and “framing” are also provided by the data-link layer. Point-to-Point Protocol
(PPP) framing and Ethernet IEEE 802.2 framing are two examples of data-link layer protocols.

3. Internet Layer

This layer parallels the functions of OSI’s Network layer. It defines the protocols which are
responsible for the logical transmission of data over the entire network. The main protocols
residing at this layer are as follows:

IP:
IP
stands for Internet Protocol and it is responsible for delivering packets from the source host to
the destination host by looking at the IP addresses in the packet headers. IP has 2 versions:
IPv4 and IPv6. IPv4 is the one that most websites are using currently. But IPv6 is growing as
the number of IPv4 addresses is limited in number when compared to the number of users.
ICMP:
ICMP
stands for Internet Control Message Protocol. It is encapsulated within IP datagrams and is
responsible for providing hosts with information about network problems.
ARP:
ARP
stands for Address Resolution Protocol. Its job is to find the hardware address of a host from a
known IP address. ARP has several types: Reverse ARP, Proxy ARP, Gratuitous ARP, and
Inverse ARP.

The Internet Layer is a layer in the Internet Protocol (IP) suite, which is the set of protocols that
define the Internet. The Internet Layer is responsible for routing packets of data from one device
to another across a network. It does this by assigning each device a unique IP address, which is
used to identify the device and determine the route that packets should take to reach it.

Example: Imagine that you are using a computer to send an email to a friend. When you click
“send,” the email is broken down into smaller packets of data, which are then sent to the Internet
Layer for routing. The Internet Layer assigns an IP address to each packet and uses routing tables
to determine the best route for the packet to take to reach its destination. The packet is then
forwarded to the next hop on its route until it reaches its destination. When all of the packets have
been delivered, your friend’s computer can reassemble them into the original email message.
In this example, the Internet Layer plays a crucial role in delivering the email from your computer
to your friend’s computer. It uses IP addresses and routing tables to determine the best route for
the packets to take, and it ensures that the packets are delivered to the correct destination. Without
the Internet Layer, it would not be possible to send data across the Internet.

4. Transport Layer

The TCP/IP transport layer protocols exchange data receipt acknowledgments and retransmit
missing packets to ensure that packets arrive in order and without error. End-to-end
communication is referred to as such. Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram
Protocol are transport layer protocols at this level (UDP).

TCP: Applications can interact with one another using

TCP
as though they were physically connected by a circuit. TCP transmits data in a way that
resembles character-by-character transmission rather than separate packets. A starting point
that establishes the connection, the whole transmission in byte order, and an ending point that
closes the connection make up this transmission.
UDP: The datagram delivery service is provided by
UDP
, the other transport layer protocol. Connections between receiving and sending hosts are not
verified by UDP. Applications that transport little amounts of data use UDP rather than TCP
because it eliminates the processes of establishing and validating connections.

5. Application Layer

This layer is analogous to the transport layer of the OSI model. It is responsible for end-to-end
communication and error-free delivery of data. It shields the upper-layer applications from the
complexities of data. The three main protocols present in this layer are:

HTTP and HTTPS:

HTTP
stands for Hypertext transfer protocol. It is used by the World Wide Web to manage
communications between web browsers and servers. HTTPS stands for HTTP-Secure. It is a
combination of HTTP with SSL(Secure Socket Layer). It is efficient in cases where the
browser needs to fill out forms, sign in, authenticate, and carry out bank transactions.
SSH:
SSH
 stands for Secure Shell. It is a terminal emulations software similar to Telnet. The reason SSH
is preferred is because of its ability to maintain the encrypted connection. It sets up a secure
session over a TCP/IP connection.
NTP:
NTP
stands for Network Time Protocol. It is used to synchronize the clocks on our computer to one
standard time source. It is very useful in situations like bank transactions. Assume the
following situation without the presence of NTP. Suppose you carry out a transaction, where
your computer reads the time at 2:30 PM while the server records it at 2:28 PM. The server can
crash very badly if it’s out of sync.

The host-to-host layer is a layer in the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model that is
responsible for providing communication between hosts (computers or other devices) on a
network. It is also known as the transport layer.

Some common use cases for the host-to-host layer include:

1. Reliable Data Transfer: The host-to-host layer ensures that data is transferred reliably
between hosts by using techniques like error correction and flow control. For example, if a
packet of data is lost during transmission, the host-to-host layer can request that the packet be
retransmitted to ensure that all data is received correctly.
2. Segmentation and Reassembly: The host-to-host layer is responsible for breaking up large
blocks of data into smaller segments that can be transmitted over the network, and then
reassembling the data at the destination. This allows data to be transmitted more efficiently and
helps to avoid overloading the network.
3. Multiplexing and Demultiplexing: The host-to-host layer is responsible for multiplexing data
from multiple sources onto a single network connection, and then demultiplexing the data at
the destination. This allows multiple devices to share the same network connection and helps
to improve the utilization of the network.
4. End-to-End Communication: The host-to-host layer provides a connection-oriented service
that allows hosts to communicate with each other end-to-end, without the need for intermediate
devices to be involved in the communication.

Example: Consider a network with two hosts, A and B. Host A wants to send a file to host B. The
host-to-host layer in host A will break the file into smaller segments, add error correction and flow
control information, and then transmit the segments over the network to host B. The host-to-host
layer in host B will receive the segments, check for errors, and reassemble the file. Once the file
has been transferred successfully, the host-to-host layer in host B will acknowledge receipt of the
file to host A.
In this example, the host-to-host layer is responsible for providing a reliable connection between
host A and host B, breaking the file into smaller segments, and reassembling the segments at the
destination. It is also responsible for multiplexing and demultiplexing the data and providing end-
to-end communication between the two hosts.

Other Common Internet Protocols

TCP/IP Model covers many Internet Protocols. The main rule of these Internet Protocols is how
the data is validated and sent over the Internet. Some Common Internet Protocols include:

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol):

HTTP
takes care of Web Browsers and Websites.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol):
FTP
takes care of how the file is to be sent over the Internet.
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol):
SMTP
is used to send and receive data.

Difference between TCP/IP and OSI Model

TCP/IP OSI

TCP refers to Transmission Control Protocol. OSI refers to Open Systems Interconnection.

TCP/IP uses both the session and presentation OSI uses different session and presentation
layer in the application layer itself. layers.

TCP/IP follows connectionless a horizontal

OSI follows a vertical approach.
approach.

The Transport layer in TCP/IP does not provide In the OSI model, the transport layer provides
assurance delivery of packets. assurance delivery of packets.

While in the OSI model, Protocols are better

Protocols cannot be replaced easily in TCP/IP
covered and are easy to replace with the
model.
technology change.

TCP/IP model network layer only provides Connectionless and connection-oriented

connectionless (IP) services. The transport layer services are provided by the network layer in
 TCP/IP OSI
(TCP) provides connections. the OSI model.

FAQ:

Q.1 Which IP Addresses Do TCP/IP Work With?

Answer:

TCP/IP generally works with both the IP that is, IPv4 and IPv6. If you are using IPv4 or
IPv6, it seems that you are already working on TCP/IP Model.