Ben Bradbury

What Is A Communication Protocol?

A communication protocol is a computer system which is responsible for
exchanging data between devices by providing a set of digital rules.
Communication protocols are needed to allow different organisations to be
productive together; this is because they are standard within the industry.
Bluetooth- Bluetooth is a type of data transmission through a wireless
technology over a close range. An example of Bluetooth is if two people want to
share pictures or music on their phones, they might choose to transfer them with
the use of Bluetooth. Link management protocol affects Bluetooth as this is what
allows the two devices to create and maintain a secure link to enable the
possibility of transferring data. Another example of a protocol which uses
Bluetooth is the control transport protocol for audio and videos. This is controlled
through the use of remote controls to transfer a list of commands sent through a
communications channel. Many people use Bluetooth headsets which allows
someone to make phone calls through a hands free device, this is a useful
product for people that are driving as they are able to make calls without
breaking the law. This is known as HFP (Hands-free profit). Bluetooth is important
because it has replaced cables and has made the transfer of information a lot
easier. It also costs very little and has led to important advancements in
consumer electronics. It is widely available to most people and allows a user to
make connections whilst away from a computer.
WIFI- Wi-Fi is a piece of hardware that makes it possible for computers, mobile
phones and many other devices connect to the internet over a wireless network.
The average Wi-Fi only has a short range such as the distance of someones
house, however this means that the further you are away from the hardware, the
lower the signal you will have and therefore the closer you are, the stronger the
signal. The protocol used by Wi-Fi was introduced in 1997 and is known as IEEE
802.11, this is responsible for the use of devices that communicate through the
use of Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi provides a high bandwidth for the user and therefore a much
higher speed due to the use of a frequency band of 2.4 GHz. Wi-Fi is a very
important piece of hardware as it is used by a large amount of people worldwide
because of the advancement of technology. A large number of people enjoy
online gaming or social media websites and in order for them to partake in these
activities easily in their home, they will need Wi-Fi to do this.
IRDA- IRDA stands for Infrared Data Association is a company that was
introduced in 1993; they create the international standards for both the software
and the hardware used in infrared communication links. This is a specialised form
of a radio transmission in which a focused ray of light within the infrared
frequency spectrum. Many devices use infrared in order for them to work, an
example of this would be a TV remote as this sends data through infrared signals
through a small light to the TV. An advantage of infrared is that it is cheaper than
other technologies that are similar. A disadvantage of this is that it can only work
over a small distance and therefore you need to be fairly close to the receiver
and it also needs to be aimed directly at it with no obstructions. IRDA is
important for computing as it allows devices to connect without the use of wires,
for example a laptop is able to connect to a printer because of IRDA.
Cellular Radio- Radio is a form of transmission of electromagnetic signals sent
through the air wirelessly. Cellular radio is based on the transfer of a cell of a

Ben Bradbury
data, these are very small signals. Cellular radio is used within many personal
communication systems. When a phone transmits data, it automatically switches
the frequencies. A protocol that affects the cellular radio would ensure that the
cellular (Vodaphone etc.) would make sure that their performance sticks to the
protocol.
GSM/UMTS- GSM stands for Global System for Mobile communications. UMTS
stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. GSM is the basis that
developed and adapted protocols for cellular networks. Examples of this are
cellular radios/mobile phones. GSM provides data roaming along with many other
data services. An example of this is if you were to go on holiday into another
country, then you will need to connect to their network. UTMS is a system that
needs to use GSM in order to work. It is responsible for providing 3G to GSM.

WAP- WAP stands for Wireless Application Protocol; this is a protocol of data over
a mobile phone network. WAP is a technical standard used by all mobile phones
in order for the user to access information wirelessly over a mobile wireless
network. This is also used by radio transceivers.
WML- WML stands for Wireless Markup Language also known as handheld
devices markup languages (HDML). This is responsible for the language that
makes it possible to show text portions of web pages on a handheld device such
as a mobile phone. This is done through wireless access.
802.11 standards- This is a set of media access control and physical layer
specifications that need to be abided by for wireless local area networks (WLAN)
when using computer communication.
TCP/IP- TCP/IP stands for transmission control protocol or Internet Protocol,
these are sets of networking protocols that are responsible for allowing
computers to communicate with each other wirelessly. Due to the effectiveness
of these protocols, they have become a standard in networking.