Chapter 5. Internet Protocol

Some link protocols are designed for data transportation within a local network, while other link protocols transport data between neighboring routers in a wide network. Unlike link protocols, IP protocol transports data between any two arbitrary computers within the Internet, i.e., through many LANs.

Usually, the data is transported (routed) from the sender to the recipient through many routers. A number of routers can appear between the sender and the recipient. Each router resolves routing to the next router (next hop) independently. The data is thereby transferred from one router to another. A hop means the next junction (a router or a destination machine) to which the data is being transferred.

The IP is a protocol that enables the connection of individual (often local) networks into a worldwide Internet. The Internet also got its name from Internet Protocol. The acronym Internet Protocol means InterNet Protocol, i.e., a protocol connecting particular...