As STATED in the network management document, SNMP RUNS under the TCP/IP COMMUNICATION stack (it's a layer 7 application). The TCP/IP stack is a way in which vendor-inspecific computer networks can communicate. For instance, say my LAN of BRAND X's computers uses communication protocol XX to communicate. If I wanted to create a WAN with by connecting my LAN to a friend's LAN of brand Y computers (that use communication protocol YY to communicate; then I would have a problem... for how could protocol XX talk to protocol YY. This is where TCP/IP steps in, providing a common communication protocol between LAN's.

As stated in the network management document, SNMP runs under the TCP/IP communication stack (it's a layer 7 application). The TCP/IP stack is a way in which vendor-inspecific computer networks can communicate. For instance, say my LAN of brand X's computers uses communication protocol XX to communicate. If I wanted to create a WAN with by connecting my LAN to a friend's LAN of brand Y computers (that use communication protocol YY to communicate; then I would have a problem... for how could protocol XX talk to protocol YY. This is where TCP/IP steps in, providing a common communication protocol between LAN's.