Which protocol is known as the standard for transmitting data over networks?

The Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite is widely recognized as the standard for transmitting data over networks. This set of protocols foundationally supports the internet and facilitates communication between different devices across diverse types of networks.

TCP is responsible for ensuring reliable transmission of data, managing packet ordering, and checking for errors, which makes it suitable for applications requiring complete data integrity. In contrast, IP handles the addressing and routing of packets across the network, enabling them to travel from the source to the destination effectively.

The significance of TCP/IP lies in its adaptability and interconnectivity, as it can operate over various network technologies and is the backbone protocol suite for all internet communications, regardless of the hardware or the underlying transport medium.

Other protocols mentioned, while they serve specific purposes, do not match the breadth and ubiquity of TCP/IP. For instance, IPX/SPX is primarily associated with the Novell network environments and lacks the wide adoption of TCP/IP. Appletalk was developed by Apple for networking Macintosh computers and is not suitable for general data transmission across heterogeneous networks. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is specifically used for email transmission and is just one of many applications that employ TCP/IP. Thus, TCP/IP remains the standard