network layer protocol (NLP)

Network Layer Protocol (NLP) refers to protocols that operate on the network layer in the OSI reference model.

Routing and network addressing take place on this layer, the network layer. The IP protocol is the best-known network protocol that resides on this layer. Others include Novell's Internetwork Packet Exchange Protocol( IPX), IBM's Advanced Peer to Peer Networking( APPN), and the OSI protocols End System to Intermediate System Protocol ( ES-IS) and Intermediate System to Intermediate System Protocol( IS-IS) of the network layer, which support connectionless and connection-oriented services.

In contrast to transport protocols, network layer protocols operate according to the best- effort principle.