HP PN1050 - Manual (Page 90)

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TCP/IP Overview
Introduction
This appendix is intended to provide information to help you gain a basic
understanding of TCP/IP.
Similar to a common language that people use to communicate with each
other, TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is a suite of
protocols designed to define the way computers and other devices
communicate with each other over a network.
TCP/IP is rapidly becoming the most used set of protocols. The main reason
this is happening is the fact that the Internet is based on TCP/IP. If you have
a network that you wish to connect to the internet, you must be using TCP/IP
to communicate.
Internet Protocol (IP)
When information is sent across the network, the data is broken down into
small packets. Each packet is sent independently of one another. Each packet
is encoded with IP information, such as the IP address of the sender and
receiver. IP packets can be routed over routers and gateways, devices that
connect a network with other networks.
IP communications is connectionless. When IP packets are sent, there is no
guarantee that they arrive at their destination in the proper sequence. That task
can be performed by higher level protocols and applications thereby allowing
IP communications to be efficient.
Each node or device that will communicate directly onto the network requires
an IP address, including HP Jetdirect-connected devices.