What are protocol architecture?
Protocol architecture or TCP/IP protocol architecture also
referred to as the TCP/IP protocol suite is a simple fundamental
underlying design which obeys a set of rules and conventions in
which communication tasks are to be performed. The communication
tasks of the protocol architecture are organized into five
relatively independent layers: * Physical * Network Access Layer *
Internet layer * Host-to-host, or transport layer * Application
Layer In my research to this question it was interested to find out
that there were some who consider the protocol architecture to be
comprised of only four relative independent layers which are: *
Network Access Layer * Internet layer * Host-to-host, or transport
layer * Application Layer
More information for each layer can be found at:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/reskit/cnet/cnbb_tcp_kscb.mspx?mfr=true
http://www.unix.org.ua/orelly/networking/tcpip/ch01_03.htm