Need help?
Internet Protocol (IP)
Explanation Posted: 12/02/01
The art of the TCP/IP family of protocols describing software that tracks the Internet address of nodes, routes outgoing messages, and recognizes incoming messages. Used in gateways to connect networks at OSI network Level 3 and above.
IP specifies the format of packets, also called datagrams, and the addressing scheme. Most networks combine IP with a higher-level protocol called Transport Control Protocol (TCP), which establishes a virtual connection between a destination and a source. IP by itself is something like the postal system. It allows you to address a package and drop it in the system, but there's no direct link between you and the recipient. TCP/IP, on the other hand, establishes a connection between two hosts so that they can send messages back and forth for a period of time. The current version of IP is IPv4. A new version, called IPv6 or IPng, is under development.