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A ''''''protocol stack'''''' is a particular software implementation of a [[computer network]]ing protocol suite. The terms are often used interchangeably. Strictly speaking, the suite is the definition of the protocols and the stack is the software implementation of them.
Individual [[network protocol|protocols]] within a suite are often designed with a single purpose in mind. This modularisation makes design and evaluation easier. Because each protocol module usually communicates with two others, they are commonly imagined as ''layers'' in a stack of protocols. The lowest protocol always deals with "low-level", physical interaction of the hardware. Every higher layer adds more features. User applications habitually deal only with the topmost layers. See also [[OSI model]].
In practical implementation, protocol stacks are often divided into three major sections for media, transport, and applications. A particular [[operating system]] or platform will often have two well-defined software interfaces, one between the media and transport layers, and one between the transport layers and '''applications'''.
The media-to-transport interface defines how transport protocol software makes use of particular media and hardware types ("card drivers"). For example, this interface level would define how [[Internet protocol suite|TCP/IP]] transport software would talk to [[Ethernet]] hardware. Examples of these interfaces include [[Open Data-Link Interface|ODI]] and [[Network Driver Interface Specification|NDIS]] in the [[Microsoft Windows]] and [[DOS]] world.
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