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Hery Fetra
Courses Plus Student 2,110 PointsDifference between HTTP and TCP/IP protocols
I am a bit confused about the difference between HTTP and TCP/IP protocols
4 Answers
Steven Parker
231,268 PointsOne thing to bear in mind is you usually use both at the same time. Each one does a different job. The jobs they do is what primarily distinguishes them.
TCP/IP is for getting bits of data from one place to another. It's only concerned with connecting computers to each other and moving the data, not about what kind of data it is. So when you are using the web, it makes sure that the data bits coming from the server get to your machine, without errors, and in the order they were sent. It is called a "transport protocol". Think of it like a post office delivery truck.
HTTP is a kind of data packaging used by your browser, and web servers. It's not involved with delivery, just with what you have after the delivery arrives. Because it pertains to your application (program) it is called an "application protocol". Think of it as the envelope or the parcel.
Does that help?
Cristobal Cardona
2,659 PointsHTTP = Envelope/Parcel, IP = Post Office, TCP = Delivery Truck
Ivan Kusakovic
1,272 Points:)
paul cox
130 Pointshun???
Cody Adkins
7,260 PointsCody Adkins
7,260 PointsSo TCP/IP delivers and HTTP opens and puts together?
A X
12,842 PointsA X
12,842 PointsOk, I'll try to give this a go Cody. TCP/IP is commonly referred to as a stack, meaning that there's several layers of taking apart code and reassembling the code into something the next thing in the stack can read. To use an ultra-nerdy example, if you've seen Lord of the Rings there's a scene where the characters light fires in order to gather the armies of men (so they need wood, oil, fire, etc in order to make it work)...so that's one direction of the TCP/IP stack. Your connection does most of the work of gathering the "supplies" to transfer your message...so your computer will send say the request to look at a LOR Youtube video through the physical wires of your network connection, and then it travels along the other layers till it reaches the location of the LOR Youtube video....and then Youtube sends that information back along the same layers of the stack.
To also answer Hery's question, HTTP is a protocol within the Application Layer of the TCP/IP stack...so to put it in different terms, HTTP is part of that relay process sending your message from your computer out over the network to get info and back again. I hope that makes sense. I know it's really complicated, and I barely understand it myself!
There's plenty of info online about the TCP/IP Stack, but a lot of it is very complicated to me!