Monday, January 28, 2013

What is the difference between Ethernet, TCP, and IP in simple (simple abstract) terms?

Imagine one of those pneumatic tube message systems. Ethernet is the tube used to send the message, IP is an envelope in the tube, and TCP/UDP is a letter in the envelope.
Someone (an application) writes a letter and stuffs it in an envelope. Another person (a NIC) looks at the address on the envelope, puts it in a tube, caps it off, stuffs it in the right door to bring it closer to its destination, then pushes the button.
The tube gets carried to another door, where someone (a router) opens the tube, reads the address, puts it back in the tube, and sends it through another door.
Eventually it arrives at its destination, where the NIC on the other side picks it up and gives it to the application.
This is, of course, a vast oversimplification of what actually happens, but it is a fairly decent base on which to start.

Reference : http://superuser.com/questions/206431/ethernet-vs-tcp-vs-ip