(pronounced as separate letters) Short for Internet Protocol. IP specifies the format of packets, also called datagrams, and the addressing scheme. Most networks combine IP with a higher-level protocol called Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), which establishes a virtual connection between a destination and a source.
IP by itself is something like the postal system. It allows you to address a package and drop it in the system, but there's no direct link between you and the recipient. TCP/IP, on the other hand, establishes a connection between two hosts so that they can send messages back and forth for a period of time.
The current version of IP is IPv4. A new version, called IPv6 or IPng, is under development.
InterNIC's home page Features information on InterNIC's directory and database services, tools and resources for the Internet community, Scout report and net-happenings publications, and domain name registration and IP network number assignment services.
Protocols.com Contains a comprehensive directory of some 200+ protocols with links to protocol standards and other protocol related Internet sites. Protocols listed include: ATM UNI, ATM signalling, Frame Relay, Ethernet, ISDN, PNNI, PPP, TCP/IP and many more.
