Protocols define rules and standards for communication in computer networks. The document discusses several key network protocols including TCP/IP, POP3, SMTP, IMAP, VoIP, RTSP, HTTPS, DHCP, ICMP, UDP, FTP, ARP, Telnet and the OSI model. TCP/IP is the most widely used protocol suite consisting of TCP and IP which were the first networking protocols. Other protocols discussed include those for email (POP3, SMTP, IMAP), streaming media (RTSP), secure communication (HTTPS), network configuration (DHCP), error handling (ICMP), file transfer (FTP), address resolution (ARP), and remote terminal access (Telnet).