Protocol Stacks

What is Protocol Stacks?

A set of network protocol layers that work together. The OSI Reference Modelthat defines seven protocol layers is often called a stack, as is the set ofTCP/IP protocols that define communication over the internet.

The term stack also refers to the actual software that processes the protocols. So, for example, programmers sometimes talk about loading a stack, which means to load the software required to use a specific set of protocols. Another common phrase is binding a stack, which refers to linking a set of network protocols to a network interface card (NIC). Every NIC must have at least one stack bound to it.

                                       

List of network protocol stacks

Computer networks may be implemented using a variety of protocol stack architectures, computer buses or combinations of media and protocol layers, incorporating one or more of:

·                    ARCNET

·                    AppleTalk

·                    ATM

·                    Bluetooth

·                    DECnet

·                    Ethernet

·                    FDDI

·                    Frame relay

·                    HIPPI

·                    IEEE 1394 aka FireWire, iLink

·                    IEEE 802.11 aka Wireless LAN (Wi-Fi certification)

·                    IEEE-488

·                    Internet protocol suite

·                    IPX

·                    Myrinet

·                    OSI protocol suite

·                    QsNet

·                    RS-232

·                    SPX

·                    System Network Architecture

·                    Token ring

·                    USB

·                    X.25 protocol suite