Explain Internet Protocol. What are the characteristics of Internet Protocol?

Internet Protocol (IP) is the method used to route information to the proper address. It is a method through which data is sent from one computer to another on internet. Every computer on the Internet has to have its own unique address known as the IP address. IP is a connectionless protocol, which means that there is no continuing connection between the end points that are communicating. Internet protocols include TCP/IP (Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), FTP (File Transfer Protocol), and SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) that create connections. The most widely used version of IP today is Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPV4). However, IP version 6 (IPV6) is also in support. IPV6 provides for much longer addressed and therefore for the possibility of many more users. When information is sent over the Internet, it is generally broken up into smaller pieces or "packets". Each Packet that travels through the internet is treated as an independent unit of data without any relation to any other unit of data. The use of packets facilitates speedy transmission since different parts of a message can be sent by different routes and then reassembled at the destination. Every packet sent via internet will contain an IP address showing where it is supposed to go. A packet may go through a number of computer routers before arriving at its final destination and IP controls the process of getting everything to the designated computer. TCP is the means for creating the packets, putting them back together in the correct order at the end, and checking to make sure that no packets got lost in transmission. If necessary, TCP will request that a packet be resent. Characteristics of Internet Protocol The IP resides in the Internet layer. The IP is the protocol in the TCP/IP stack that is responsible for letting the machine, routers, switches and etcetera, know where a specific packet is going. This protocol is the very heart of the whole TCP/IP stack, and makes up the very foundation of everything in the Internet. The IP encapsulates the Transport layer packet with information about which Transport layer protocol it came from, what host it is going to, and a little bit of other useful information. The IP must be able to define the datagram, which is the next building block created by the transport layer. The IP also defines the Internet addressing system. It means that the IP protocol is what defines how to reach between hosts, and this also affects how one is able to route packets. IP must also be able to decapsulate and encapsulate the IP datagram (IP data) and send or receive the datagram from either the Network access layer, or the transport layer. The IP is also a connectionless protocol, which in turn means that IP does not "negotiate" a connection. A connection-oriented protocol on the other hand negotiates a "connection" (called a handshake) and then when all data has been sent, tears it down.