IPX

Stands for "Internetwork Packet Exchange." (I didn't know "exchange" started with an "x" either.) It is a networking protocol used to connect networks based on Novell's NetWare. IPX is "connectionless," meaning it doesn't require connections to be maintained during an exchange of packets, like a phone call does. It can just pick up where it left off when a connection is temporarily dropped. Another nice thing about IPX is that it usually only loads when you log on to a network, so it doesn't take up unnecessary resources. As some video game players may know, IPX used to be the standard protocol for network games. However, most video games now use the more robust TCP/IP protocol, which allows for long distance network gaming.

Published: 2002