TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)

• TCP/IP is a protocol used on the Internet.  It assigns the IP address to each of the computers that access the Internet worldwide.  TCP/IP is the language that controls are communication between the computers connected to the Internet, making sure that they can all communicate with each other.  Basically, it is the instructions that says how packets of information are sent across networks and the Internet.

• For more detailed information, Yale University has an excellent article on TCP/IP.

• TCP/IP is a part of the network settings on the computer.  The network settings are there to instruct the computer how to communicate with other systems on the network and over the Internet. For information on how to verify or modify these settings, click on the link below for the PC's operating system:

  • Windows Vista
  • Windows XP
  • Windows 2000
  • Windows (95, 98, ME)
  • Windows NT
  • Mac OS 8, 9
  • Mac OS X (10)