Network Protocols

Understanding Network Protocols 

Introduction
A protocol is a standard by which communication takes place between network devices.
The following white paper attempts to explain in the simplest terms the protocols used by
your Iomega network device.
TCP/IP
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. TCP/IP is one of the core network
protocols on top of which most other protocols are built. TCP watches network traffic to
detect problems and ensure that data is safely transfered between network devices.
UDP
User Datagram Protocol (also Universal Datagram Protocol). Controls traffic between
network devices, but does not attempt any error correction. It is used for protocols
where speed is more important than accuracy or error correction is handled by the client
software.
SMB/CIFS
Server Message Block/Common Internet File System. SMB is the File transfer protocol
commonly used by Windows computers. Mac OS X and Linux/UNIX now commonly include
an implementation of SMB known as Samba. This protocol uses TCP port 445.
AFP
Apple Filing Protocol. AFP is the file transfer protocol commonly used by Macintosh
computers. This protocol is preferred for Mac transfers since it supports Unicode file
names, resource forks, and other Mac OS specific attributes. This protocol uses TCP ports
548 and/or 427.
NFS
Network File System. NFS is the file transfer protocol commonly used by UNIX/Linux
computers. Due to its UNIX roots, Mac OS X also supports NFS. This protocol uses TCP
port 1025.
HTTPS
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. This protocol is most commonly used for websites and
combines HTTP (see below) transfers with SSL or TLS encryption. Iomega’s remote access
features relies on HTTPS to transfer file lists, downloads, and uploads securely accross
the Internet. The StorCenter ix-Series will also use HTTPS for its web-base configuration
if security is enabled. HTTPS requires a certificate that verifies that the server operator
is who they claim to be. Most web browsers will issue a warning if the HTTPS server’s
certificate cannot be verified. Remote Access users can receive a HTTPS certificate for a
nominal fee. HTTPS (Iomega Remote Access) typically uses TCP port 443.

 FTP
File Transfer Protocol. FTP is a common Internet protocol used for file transfers. Although
FTP is a very common protocol, it still may require special client software in some
situations. For example, the Mac OS X finder supports FTP, but is Read-Only—You will need
special software to use FTP to upload files. This protocol uses TCP port 21.
BitTorrent
BitTorrent is a common peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing protocol
used on the Internet. Torrents require special software clients
such as the software built-in to the StorCenter ix-Series. This
file sharing method requires .torrent files that are downloaded
from a torrent tracker — a special server that tracks which peers
are sharing a file. The torrent tracker does not actually host a copy of the files that are
being shared. Each peer shares portions of the torrent once it has been downloaded. File
transfer rates increase as more peers participate in the download. This protocol uses TCP
ports 6881-6999; however, many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) throttle traffic on these
ports. Some torrent trackers require that you use a port in the 49152-65535 (unassigned)
range.
HTTP
Hypertext Transfer Protocol. This is the protocol used for most web traffic. Your iomega
network device uses either this protocol or HTTPS (see above) to host the configuration
interface. It will not allow you to host other websites on the device. This protocol usually
uses TCP port 80, but may use 8008, 8080, 16080, etc.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a wireless transfer protocol that is used to transfer small
files such as calendars, photos, and contacts over short distances
(using OBEX or Object Exchange Protocol). It is also used to control
devices such as mice wirelessly.
NTP
Network Time Protocol. NTP synchronizes the time between a client and a time server.
This protocol uses UDP port 123.
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. SMTP is a simple email protocol. SMTP is usually only used
for outbound emails such as email notifications sent by your iomega network device. By
default, this protocol uses UDP port 123.

UPnP
Universal Plug-and-Play. UPnP is a set of peer-to-peer network protocols that assist
with the discovery and control of network devices. Iomega network devices use
UPnP to automatically configure network routers for port forwarding and serve
multimedia files. DLNA and Microsoft Rally (see below) are both based on UPnP.
DLNA
Digital Living Network Alliance. DLNA is not technically a protocol, but is a
series of guidelines that define protocols, etc. necessary for network devices
to seamlessly share media files, such as movies, photos, and music. Your
Iomega network device uses DLNA for its media server. DLNA is based on
UPnP (see above).
DAAP/iTunes
Digital Audio Access Protocol. DAAP is a media sharing protocol developed by Apple for
its iTunes software. DAAP uses Bonjour (see below) to announce and discover media files.
This protocol uses TCP port 3689 by default.
Bonjour
Bonjour (formerly known as Rendezvous) is Apple’s implementation of Zeroconf which is
used to discover network resources. Bonjour announces your Iomega network device’s
abilities as a file server, iTunes media server, and print server to client computers. This
protocol uses UDP port 5353.
Windows Rally
Rally is used to discover network resources. Rally announces your Iomega network
device’s abilities as a file server, media server, and print server to client computers. Rally
is based on UPnP.
SNMP
Simple Network Management Protocol. SNMP is used to manage diverse network
resources using a single interface. StorCenter ix-Series servers can be configured using
SNMP client software. This protocol uses UDP port 161.