What is meant by a network protocol?

A network protocol refers to a set of rules and standards that dictate how data is transmitted across a network. This includes the procedures and formats for data exchange, error handling, and data integrity, ensuring that devices can communicate effectively regardless of their individual hardware or software configurations.

This definition underscores the importance of protocols in facilitating communication between different devices connected to a network. Without protocols, there would be confusion and lack of coherence in the way data packets are formatted, sent, and received, leading to potential data loss or miscommunication.

In contrast, other choices discuss different concepts: one refers to software formatting methods that don’t pertain to network communication specifically, another discusses organizational policies which are more about governance and usage rather than technical specifications, and the last option mentions physical devices, which are tangential to the rules of communication and not the protocols governing that communication.