Q & A on TCP/IP Between Hosts on a Single Network.

Q: I just wanted to know if TCP/IP is required when the client and the server are located on the same physical network.

A: If the operating systems on the two computer provide support for some other suite (or direct access to the underlying network), TCP/IP is not required. In practice, however, chances of being able to use an alternative are extremely slim -- no protocols are available on as many computer systems as TCP/IP, which has become the universal language of networking.