Which is the correct order of the protocol stack used by a web client receiving a web page from a web server?

The correct order of the protocol stack when a web client receives a web page from a web server is Ethernet, IP, TCP, and HTTP. This order reflects the process of how data is transmitted over a network.

At the lowest layer, Ethernet is used for the physical transfer of data over the network. It defines the way data packets are physically transmitted over local area networks (LANs). When a web client initiates a request for a web page, the first step involves the encapsulation of the data in Ethernet frames, ensuring that the data can be sent across the physical network.

Next in the stack is IP (Internet Protocol), which is responsible for routing data packets between devices across different networks. It encapsulates the TCP segments and provides the addressing information necessary to direct the packets to the correct destination, which is crucial for delivering web content from the server back to the client.

Following IP, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) comes into play. TCP is responsible for establishing a reliable connection between the client and the server. It ensures that the data is sent in a sequential manner and handles any retransmissions of lost packets. This is important for web browsing because web pages are typically composed of multiple segments that must be reassembled accurately at the client side.