You can have a 'Medical Protocol' or even a 'Dance Protocol' where you both agree to dance in the same style. The dancers below have agreed to follow the 'Tango' protocol -in this case, if they do not agree, it will surely result in sore feet and bruised shins!
A 'NETWORK PROTOCOL' is the agreed method of communication to be used within the network.
Each device / computer will use this protocol.
Elements of a network protocol
The list below indicates some the things that need to be considered:-
 | Speed of the network - for example 10Mbit /s |
| Error checks of the data packets when they arrive- how is it done |
| Error correction of the data packets - method to be used |
| Data packets received correctly - what method/signal will be used to tell the other machine that the data has arrived correctly |
| How does the receiving machine know that the sending machine has finished sending all of the data? - what is the code to indicate this |
| Data compression - does the protocol allow this to take place and if so, what method does it use? |
There are many protocols in use across various networks. Have you heard of these? :-
| TCP - the protocol that the internet uses |
| Kermit - popular for use with modems |
| X.25 - a packet switched protocol |
Anyone can invent a protocol. Indeed some large companies develop their own often hoping the rest of the world will use it as well.
Most widely used network protocols have been agreed and developed by international standards organisations such as the ITU (International Telecommunication Union).
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