Protocols
| Protocol | Description |
| IPX / SPX (NWLink) | Internetwork Packet Exchange/Sequenced Packet Exchange. The default network protocol for Novell Netware prior to NetWare 5. (Current default is TCP/IP). NWLink is the Microsoft version of IPX/SPX. |
| NETBEUI / NetBIOS | These two terms are grouped together by many technical resources, which can be misleading.
NetBEUI is the NetBIOS Extended User Interface. A non-routable protocol for early Windows OS. NetBIOS is a provides three services to applications: 1. Name service registration and resolution, 2. Session service (connection-oriented), 3. Datagram distribution (connectionless). By definition, NetBEUI uses NetBIOS. However, NetBIOS does not depend upon NetBEUI. For example, NetBIOS services occur over TCP/IP in Windows environments. |
| TCP / IP | Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. Part of a set of protocols known as the Internet Protocol Suite. The most commonly used, routable, network protocol. TCP transmits data and IP refers to addressing. Necessary for Internet communication. All protocols below (except DNS) occur over TCP/IP. |
| SMTP | Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. SMTP sents email to one or more recipients. Not listed in exam objectives, but of equal importance, is POP3 – Post Office Protocol (v3). This protocol downloads inbound email messages. |
| IMAP | Internet Message Access Protocol. Used for accessing email on a remote server from a local client. Whereas POP3 downloads email messages, IMAP instantly accesses email stored on a server. |
| HTML | Hypertext Markup Language. Web page code that defines how a page appears in the web browser. |
| HTTP | Hypertext Transfer Protocol. Connects local web browser to a web server, typically using port 80. |
| HTTPS | Hypertext Transfer Protocol (Secure). Combines HTTP and SSL to establish a secure connection. Uses port 443 by default. Web sites using this protocol start with HTTPS:// and usually show a padlock in the browser. Typically used for authentication and ecommerce. |
| SSL | Secure Sockets Layer. Secures network traffic by using, among other things, encryption and server authentication. Typically used for authentication and ecommerce. Often replaces telnet for secure remote administration of servers and network devices. |
| Telnet | Teletype Network. Protocol used in the command-line tool of the same name. Useful for remote administration of servers, clients, and network devices such as routers. Communicates in unsecured plain text. |
| FTP | File Transfer Protocol. Often used to transmit files using an application of the same name. Commonly used to transfer files across the internet between a web server and Windows hosts. Flexible in that file transfers can occur between differing operating systems. |
| DNS | Domain Name System. A service that resolves host names to IP addresses. Web browsers accessing www.cbtnuggets.com transparently connect to the IP address that was resolved by a DNS server. For example, DNS servers on the Internet resolve www.cbtnuggets.com to 128.242.116.211. (Note: this is not really a protocol, but I listed it here because it was listed with all the other protocols on the exam objectives.) |