What is the most common protocol for computer networking?

ip - internet protocol.

The Internet uses many layered protocols. The two protocols used the most are tcp/ip (tcp protocol on top of ip) and udp/ip (udp protocol on top of ip). Web Browsers use tcp/ip. Email uses tcp/ip. Many web applications and games use udp/ip for broadcasting video, audio, and for multiplayer games.

ip runs within/on yet many other base protocols. The most common protocol inside homes and business is ethernet. tcp/ip can run on ethernet and many other base protocols.

Analogy: Think of shipping and boxes as protocols and packets. You might ship something in a box to Another Country. The address system on the box could be part of the ip protocol. Your box goes in a UPS truck (a bigger box - think ethernet packet holding your ip packet) with other boxes then goes to a distribution center (a router), then maybe into a container and on a ship (a different box

• say FiOS fiber protocols). So tcp within ip within ethernet is

like ups package within container on a container ship.

In networks the containers can but don't always get bigger as you get onto the backbone - they tend instead to get faster. An ethernet packet might contain 2 different ip packets each which might have 2 tcp packets. More often it is a 1 to 1 relationship.