Interconnecting different computer systems can prove difficult due to incompatibilities. Sometimes these difficulties occur due to incompatibilities between differing hardware and sometimes between differing software. Technically knowledgeable people can configure disparate computers to communicate using a set of rules and constraints known as [[protocol (computing)|protocols]]. Protocols attempt to precisely define the communication within and between computing endpoints. If two computer systems define the same protocols, they may be capable of interconnecting and become a part of a larger system. | Interconnecting different computer systems can prove difficult due to incompatibilities. Sometimes these difficulties occur due to incompatibilities between differing hardware and sometimes between differing software. Technically knowledgeable people can configure disparate computers to communicate using a set of rules and constraints known as [[protocol (computing)|protocols]]. Protocols attempt to precisely define the communication within and between computing endpoints. If two computer systems define the same protocols, they may be capable of interconnecting and become a part of a larger system. |