---
title: "Explaining 8 Popular Network Protocols in 1 Diagram"
description: "A visual guide to understanding 8 common network protocols."
image: "https://assets.bytebytego.com/diagrams/0292-explaining-8-popular-network-protocols-in-1-diagram.png"
createdAt: "2024-03-15"
draft: false
categories:
  - computer-fundamentals
tags:
  - "Networking"
  - "Protocols"
---

Network protocols are standard methods of transferring data between two computers in a network.

![](https://assets.bytebytego.com/diagrams/0292-explaining-8-popular-network-protocols-in-1-diagram.png)

## 1. HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol)

HTTP is a protocol for fetching resources such as HTML documents. It is the foundation of any data exchange on the Web and it is a client-server protocol.

## 2. HTTP/3

HTTP/3 is the next major revision of the HTTP. It runs on QUIC, a new transport protocol designed for mobile-heavy internet usage. It relies on UDP instead of TCP, which enables faster web page responsiveness. VR applications demand more bandwidth to render intricate details of a virtual scene and will likely benefit from migrating to HTTP/3 powered by QUIC.

## 3. HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure)

HTTPS extends HTTP and uses encryption for secure communications.

## 4. WebSocket

WebSocket is a protocol that provides full-duplex communications over TCP. Clients establish WebSockets to receive real-time updates from the back-end services. Unlike REST, which always “pulls” data, WebSocket enables data to be “pushed”. Applications, like online gaming, stock trading, and messaging apps leverage WebSocket for real-time communication.

## 5. TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)

TCP is designed to send packets across the internet and ensure the successful delivery of data and messages over networks. Many application-layer protocols build on top of TCP.

## 6. UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

UDP sends packets directly to a target computer, without establishing a connection first. UDP is commonly used in time-sensitive communications where occasionally dropping packets is better than waiting. Voice and video traffic are often sent using this protocol.

## 7. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)

SMTP is a standard protocol to transfer electronic mail from one user to another.

## 8. FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

FTP is used to transfer computer files between client and server. It has separate connections for the control channel and data channel.