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• Topology
• Protocols

Protocols

Imagine you talking with another person that speak the same language. You're exchanging information with that person, but even though both of you don't have to follow the rigid rules of grammar or talk in a formal manner because both understand each other. In network, devices have to follow a set of rules that let them communicate with each other. Therefore, the devices have everything defined and structured. This way they can know how information is going to be exchanged and in what format it will be. These methods of transmitting and processing information are called protocols.

Protocols are establish by international agreement ensuring that computers everywhere can communicate with each other. In other words, protocols are a set of rules that governs the communications between devices on a network. The protocols determine the following:

• The type of error checking to be used.
• Data compression method, if any.
• How the sending device will indicate that it has finish sending a message.
• How the receiving device will indicate that it has received a message.

Some stantdard protocols are either simpler or faster, or more reliable than others. Because there are many protocols that has different functions, we're going to mention a few of them:

• TCP/IP
• AppleTalk
• HTTP
• FTP
• UDP