OSI and TCP/IP Data Models

Reference Models

The OSI model and the TCP/IP model are both reference models used to describe the data communication process. The TCP/IP model is used specifically for the TCP/IP suite of protocols, and the OSI model is used for the development of standard communication for equipment and applications from different vendors.

The TCP/IP model performs the same process as the OSI model, but uses four layers instead of seven. The chart shows how the layers of the two models compare.