TCP/IP became the only protocol allowed on the Internet on January 1, 1983. This poses a problem for NetWare networks, since the protocol used by Novell is IPX/SPX (Internetwork Packet eXchange/Sequenced Packet eXchange). Although proprietary to Novell, IPX is strongly based on XNS (Xerox Network Services). All the capabilities of TCP/IP are included in IPX through the XNS heritage, but the two are different. IPX was developed primarily as a local transport protocol, while TCP/IP was developed to support wide area networking and the Internet. The different design goals in TCP/IP and IPX/SPX show in the use and configuration of both protocols. TCP/IP, designed for WANs (Wide Area Networks), has always been concerned about using broadcasts of any kind to advertise or locate network resources. Since wide area links always support fewer packets than local network connections, using broadcasts in a WAN setting steals bandwidth from data packets.
IPX was designed for use in a local environment, where bandwidth is freely available. NetWare uses SAP (Service Advertising Protocol) at each server node to send an information packet about that server and the resources available every sixty seconds. Even if hundreds of servers each send a packet once a minute, there is plenty of room on the network for data packets.
Because of SAP, NetWare clients are easier to install and configure than TCP/IP clients. TCP/IP clients must know the names and addresses of servers, routers, and network segments before they can become a functioning part of the network. NetWare clients are under no such constraints. When a NetWare client joins the network, the client sends a SAP broadcast asking for the addresses of local resources, and gets an immediate reply.
TCP/IP requires more of network clients than does IPX. Because of this, TCP/IP is more difficult to install and configure. Each client must be given a unique address, and details about the network must be listed on the client. Being more complicated than IPX, TCP/IP requires more workstation memory and is slower in a local setting.
Another problem facing increased TCP/IP usage is that of addresses: TCP/IP addresses are running out. Each TCP/IP client connected to the Internet must have a unique world-wide TCP/IP address.