TCP/IP: What are the internet's rules?

 TCP/IP is a computer language that defines the internet's regulations. The internet's rules are defined by the Internet Protocol (IP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), which are the languages that computers use to interact with one another.

TCP/IP allows the internet to function similarly to a postal system. There's an address book with the identities of all the devices on the network, as well as a set of standard envelopes for storing data. The sender's address, the recipient's address, and information about the contents must all be printed on the envelopes.

TCP discusses how to package and send data, while IP explains how to use the address system.

According to PC magazine, when a computer connects to the internet, it receives an IP address that is unique to it. You may find out what yours is by searching Google for "what is my IP." It's not very human-friendly, as you'll notice. Either four digits between 0 and 255 separated by full stops or eight four-digit sequences separated by colons are used.

You may also notice that your IP address changes over time. According to Business Insider, your IP address comes from your internet service provider at home, but it could also come from a coffee shop's wi-fi or your company's network when you're out and about.

What is TCP/IP and how does it work?

What is TCP/IP and how does it work?

To load a website, your computer must know the IP address of the data-holding web server. This is a long series of characters and numbers that could change at any time.

Fortunately, there is a second address system that can assist you in directing your computer to the correct location. According to Cloudflare, the Domain Name System, or DNS for short, offers servers human-friendly names called domains. To determine which IP address to use, utilize your web browser to look them up.

According to the CISSP Study Guide, your computer can then establish a three-way handshake with the server. It begins by sending a message to the server, asking if it is ready to communicate. This is accomplished by mailing an empty envelope with the word "synchronize?" written on the front.

When the server is finished, it prints "acknowledge" on a new envelope and returns it. Finally, your computer sends a third envelope with the word "acknowledge" on it to finish the conne

You're now ready to begin sharing data.

The server accomplishes this by chopping the web site's content into little bits and wrapping each one in its own envelope. According to Cloudflare, it writes its own IP address, your IP address, and a sequence number to the outside world. That number instructs your computer on how to reassemble the pieces.

When your computer receives one of the envelopes, it examines it and responds with the word "acknowledge." This implies, "I received the data, and everything appears to be in order."

According to IR Technologies, if the server doesn't receive an acknowledgment after a certain amount of time has passed, it guesses the envelope was lost or destroyed and sends it again.

The only thing left to do is end the connection once all of the data is safely stored on your computer. Another three-way handshake is required. One computer sends an envelope with the words "finish" written on it. The other replies, "acknowledge." The connection is closed when the first response with "acknowledge."