Pronunciation: [ˈɪpks] (IPA) 
The spelling of the word "IPX" can be explained by its IPA phonetic transcription. "I" represents the sound of "ih", "P" is pronounced as "pee", while "X" is pronounced as "eks". When combined, the word is pronounced as "ih-pee-eks". IPX stands for Internet Packet Exchange, a protocol used for delivering data packets over a network. It was commonly used by Novell NetWare before being replaced by the more advanced TCP/IP protocol.
IPX is an acronym for Internetwork Packet Exchange, which refers to a network protocol developed by Novell in the 1980s. It was primarily designed to facilitate communication between computers in a Local Area Network (LAN) environment, specifically in Novell NetWare systems.
IPX operates at the Network layer (Layer 3) of the OSI model and provides routing and packet delivery services. It utilizes a connectionless approach, meaning that it does not establish a dedicated connection between the sender and receiver before transmitting data. Instead, IPX treats each packet independently and relies on the network's routers to route the packets to their destination.
The protocol uses a unique network number, referred to as the IPX network address, to identify different LANs and determine routing paths. Moreover, IPX employs packet fragmentation, allowing it to split large packets into smaller fragments that can be efficiently transmitted over the network.
IPX is known for its compatibility with a variety of network media, such as Ethernet, Token Ring, and FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface). It has been widely used in the past, particularly within Novell NetWare networks, to support file sharing, printer sharing, and other network services.
However, with the emergence and dominance of the TCP/IP protocol suite in the Internet era, IPX has become less prevalent and gradually replaced by IP (Internet Protocol). Nevertheless, IPX still retains some usage in specialized environments or legacy systems that have not transitioned to TCP/IP.
