Operating systems serve as crucial intermediaries between applications and network hardware. When multiple applications need to communicate over the network, the OS manages all these connections efficiently. Applications send their network requests to the operating system, which then coordinates with the network hardware to establish connections to the internet and other networks.
The operating system manages network connections through a layered protocol stack. At the top, the Application Layer handles protocols like HTTP and SMTP. The Transport Layer manages reliable data delivery using TCP or UDP. The Network Layer routes packets using IP addresses. The Data Link Layer handles local network communication through Ethernet or WiFi. Finally, the Physical Layer manages the actual transmission over cables or radio waves. Data flows down through these layers when sending and up when receiving.