Some of TCP/IP's immense success can be attributed to the following reasons:

  • TCP/IP is robust. It has been tested and refined by the people who use it in real situations.

  • The protocol was originally developed and implemented into the Defence Data Network by the US Department of Defence.

  • TCP/IP is fault tolerant. It can continue to function normally even when one or more nodes in the network are damaged/missing because it effectively routes data around problems.

  • The UNIX and LINUX operating systems use TCP/IP as their native network protocol.

  • The system is also advantaged by its built-in ability to work over many separate networks each operating on different hardware.