alleryStart learning →The TCP/IP protocol suite is typically organised into how many layers?
A2 layers (Link, Application)
B4 layers (Link, IP, Transport, App)
C7 layers (OSI model)
D10 layers, modern stack
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. 4 layers (Link, IP, Transport, App)
1. RFC 1180 describes the TCP/IP suite as a 4-LAYER stack:
- Application (HTTP, SMTP, DNS, FTP)
- Transport (TCP, UDP)
- Internet (IP, ICMP, ARP)
- Network Interface / Link (Ethernet, Wi-Fi)
2. CONTRAST with the OSI 7-layer model (option C): TCP/IP collapses several OSI layers.
3. The simplicity of the 4-layer model is partly why TCP/IP won out over OSI in practice.
4. Options A and D are not standard models.
_Source: RFC 1180 "A TCP/IP Tutorial", §2 (TCP/IP Overview)._
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