TCP/IP is a set of protocols that make the Internet possible. Specifically, TCP/IP, or the transmission control protocol and Internet Protocol, specifies how devices exchange data over the Internet to one another. This communication protocol suite identifies how data should be broken down, addressed, transmitted, routed, and received for sharing. It consists of two main protocols: TCP and IP.

TCP defines how applications can create communication channels. TCP also manages how messages should be broken down into packets before being transmitted over the Internet and reassembled at the destination. IP defines how to address and route each packet to ensure it reaches the right destination.

TCP/IP is designed for network reliability and auto-recovery from failure. And network admins use it to establish device and network connectivity with little central management.

 Its functionality is divided into four layers:

• The application layer provides applications with standardized data exchange. These protocols include HTTP, FTP, SMTP, and SNMP;
• The transport layer maintains end-to-end communications across the network with the TCP protocol; the network layer manages packets and connects networks to transport the packets across the network boundaries, using IP and Internet Control Message Protocol;
• The physical layer comprises protocols that only operate on a link. This component connects nodes or hosts in the network.

TCP/IP is non-proprietary and easily modified. It’s compatible with all operating systems, hardware, and networks, and it’s highly scalable. TCP/IP is often compared to the OSI model, another communication standard providing a theoretical framework for how networks and applications should communicate.