What are Bindings?

Just as we bind pages to create a book, individual protocols like IP and TCP are bond together to form a protocol stack, TCP/IP. In many cases, there is no control of automatic binding because there is no practical alternative. For example, HTTP for web access is always bound to TCP/IP because the Internet always uses TCP/IP. In contrast, SMB for File and Print Sharing can use TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, or NetBEUI. In this case, Windows has an Advanced Settings dialog to control the bindings.

By default, all protocols are bound to the available services. If you have multiple protocols, you can disable bindings if a specific protocol is not needed for a specific service. To control the bindings, go to the Advanced Settings for your Network Connections. The bindings dialog lets you disable and order bindings to improve efficiency. You can avoid this issue by standardizing on one protocol like TCP/IP.