Hey friends, in this article we will discuss two famous network reference models. First is the OSI Model and the other one is TCP/IP Model. Both models, play a vital role in understanding data flow between various networking protocols. Below, a diagram will help you to understand both models in a better way.

Difference between OSI and TCP/IP Model

In this table, we will discuss some major differences between TCP/IP and OSI Model.
S.No. | OSI Model | TCP/IP Model |
---|---|---|
1. | OSI Stands for Open System Interconnection. | TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol. |
2. | 7 Different Layers. | 4 Different Layers. |
3. | It is developed by ISO (International Standard Organisation) | It is developed by DoD (Department of Defense). |
4. | Conceptual Model | Used in actual data transmission between different computers. |
5. | It is a not Tangible model. | It is a Tangible Model. |
TCP/IP Model
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)/IP (Internet Protocol), is a protocol stack which was developed by DoD (Department of Defense). It was developed before the OSI Model. This model has 4 different layers. Like the OSI Model, different protocols are working at different layers. Data flow between different computers flows this model. Different Layers of the TCP/IP model :
- Application
- Transport
- Internet
- Link
OSI Model
OSI stands for Open System Interconnection. It was developed in 1984 by ISO (International Standard Organisation). This model has 7 different layers. Unlike TCP/IP Model, this model provides a conceptual view of data flow between various computers. However, this is not a practical model, so it does not have practical usages. Different Layers of the OSI Model :
- Application
- Presentation
- Session
- Transport
- Network
- Data Link
- Physical
Summary
TCP/IP is a protocol suite, which is used during data transmission over the network. TCP/IP developed by DoD. It has 4 different layers. On the other hand, OSI is a reference model, which have 7 different layers. OSI helps us to understand the data flow between different protocols.
Is this article is helpful ? Please comment in comment box !
I get that TCP/IP came before the OSI model but it seems the way I understand it (correct me if i’m wrong) is that the OSI model is the full model with all 7 layers and the TCP/IP model is basically only concerned with layers 3 and 4 of the OSI model. What role does TCP/IP do in the other layers that isn’t done by OSI?
It seems like the TCP/IP is part of the whole and OSI is the whole. The TCP Protocol is used in the Transport layer and the IP Protocol is used in the Network/Internet layer and to my understanding, that’s it for TCP/IP. I get that it has to send and receive data to the application and network interface layers but the TCP/IP don’t do anything on the other layers do they?
That’s my understanding anyway, if someone could correct me if i’m wrong. Thanks