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Protocols
Network protocols are standards that allow computers to
communicate. A protocol defines how computers identify one
another on a network, the form that the data should take in
transit, and how this information is processed once it
reaches its final destination.
Protocols also define procedures for handling lost or
damaged transmissions or "packets." TCP/IP (for UNIX,
Windows NT, Windows 95 and other platforms), IPX (for Novell
NetWare), DECnet (for networking Digital Equipment Corp.
computers), AppleTalk (for Macintosh computers), and
NetBIOS/NetBEUI (for LAN Manager and Windows NT networks)
are the main types of network protocols in use today.
Although each network protocol is different, they all share
the same physical cabling. This common method of accessing
the physical network allows multiple protocols to peacefully
coexist over the network media, and allows the builder of a
network to use common hardware for a variety of protocols.
This concept is known as "protocol independence," which
means that devices that are compatible at the physical and
data link layers allow the user to run many different
protocols over the same medium.
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