What Does Protocol Conversion Mean?
Protocol conversion is the process of translating the protocol of the sending device to a different protocol of another device so that compatibility and communication can be established. Today, heterogeneous networks exist in the communication world, and with lack of a uniform global standard for communication protocol, protocol mismatches can happen. Thus it is important to have protocol conversions to mediate between incompatible protocol models.
Techopedia Explains Protocol Conversion
Protocol conversion helps in communication for a variety of host types. Protocol conversion can be performed through hardware, using dedicated equipment, or through software applications. The hardware or software is usually placed on the end-user device. Unlike tunneling in protocol conversion, protocol headers of the first network are removed completely, the data is wrapped in the second network’s protocols and is then sent over. Protocol conversion for this reason allows more versatility than tunneling, which does not allow mixed endpoints. Protocol conversion also handles the network overhead more efficiently than tunneling and permits the originating protocol’s flow control mechanisms, which is absent in tunneling.
