Short for
Serial Line Internet Protocol, a protocol for connection to the
Internet via a
dial-up connection. Developed in the 80s when
modem communications typically were limited to 2400
bps, it was designed for simple communication over
serial lines. SLIP can be used on
RS-232 serial ports and supports asynchronous links.
A more common protocol is PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) because it is faster and more reliable and supports functions that SLIP does not, such as error detection, dynamic assignment of IP addresses and data compression.
In general, Internet service providers offer only one protocol although some support both protocols.