protocol

A protocol is the special set of rules that end points in a telecommunication connection use when they communicate. Protocols specify interactions between the communicating entities.

Sometimes referred to as an access method, a protocol is a standard used to define a method of exchanging data over a computer network such as local area network, Internet, Intranet, etc. Each protocol has its own method of how data is formatted when sent and what to do with it once received, how that data is compressed or how to check for errors in data.

Also, a protocol is an agreed-upon format for transmitting data between two devices. The protocol determines the following:

• the type of error checking to be used;

• data compression method, if any;

• how the sending device will indicate that it has finished sending a message;

• how the receiving device will indicate that it has received a message;

The protocol can be implemented either in hardware or in software. There are a variety of standard protocols. Each has particular advantages and disadvantages; for example, some are simpler than others, some are more reliable, and some are faster.