transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP)

Standard networking rules that every computer connected to internet must follow to send and receive any type of data. Developed in 1970s by the US Department Of Defense for Unix-based computers, TCP/IP is now employed by all types of computer platforms, intranets, extranets, etc. It is a set of two protocols and is described as a two-layered program in which: (1) TCP is the higher layer which (on the transmitting, uploading, or host computer) breaks a data stream into sequentially numbered data packets and (on the receiving, downloading, or client computer) reassembles the data packets back into the original stream. It rectifies the errors that may occur and concerned mainly with how data is sent or received. (2) IP is the lower layer which assigns the address of the receiving computer to each data packet sent so that, irrespective of the route or circuit followed by each individual packet, all arrive at the intended destination. It is concerned mainly with where to data is sent.