Transmission Protocols
Computer Science: OCR A Level, topic 3.3.5
Transmission Protocols
In any network, we need a set of protocols which determine how data will be transmitted and how it will be structured.
Ethernet
- Ethernet is a protocol that defines how data should be physically transmitted between network hardware.
- Ethernet is used in wired networks.
WiFi
- WiFi (802.11x) is a set of protocols defining how data should be transmitted using radio waves.
- WiFi is used in wireless networks.
Transmission Control Protocol
- Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) splits data from applications into small pieces called 'packets'.
- Each packet has a header and a payload.
- The header is data about how the packet should reach its destination.
- The payload is the actual data that needs to be sent.
Internet Protocol
- Internet Protocol (IP) defines how data packets should be sent between networks.
- An IP header is added to each packet with the source and destination IP address.
- Routers use this information to deliver the packet to the correct network.
Test yourself on Transmission Protocols
Which of these statements is true of the WiFi protocol?
What are the two parts of a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) packet?