What Is Meant By Protocol Stack In Computer Network?

The protocol is a set of rules and regulations that determines the way in which the devices communicate over a network. As different computer/devices need to be connected together through a network for communication purpose, there is need of language for this communication.

The protocols actually act as a language that different network nodes use to communicate with each other. All the devices must use the same language/protocol; otherwise they can not understand each other's data.

The communication process is a lengthy and difficult one to manage. Thus, this communication process is divided into different step or layers. Now it becomes easy to define the protocols that work at these various layers. Each layer indicated a specific function that these protocols fulfill.  These multiple protocols working together in the form of layers are normally known as the protocol stack. These layers are stacked together such that the each layer's function depends upon the data provided by the previous layer and forward the processed data to the next layer.

There are seven layers in the OSI reference model that acts a standard infrastructure for network communication. Same standard of protocols must be followed by each device in a conversation. These layers work on the data that is to be sent across the network at the sender end while at the destination end these layers work in opposite direction.