Which protocol is primarily used for transferring files over a network?

The primary protocol used for transferring files over a network is File Transfer Protocol (FTP). FTP is specifically designed for the purpose of transferring files between a client and a server, allowing users to upload and download files efficiently. It operates using client-server architecture, where users can connect to an FTP server to access, submit, or manipulate files.

In contrast, other protocols serve different functions: IMAP is utilized for managing and retrieving emails from a mail server, HTTP is predominantly used for transferring hypertext documents (such as web pages) over the Internet, and TCP is a fundamental transport layer protocol that establishes a connection between devices for data transfer but does not itself handle file transfers directly. Thus, FTP is the optimal choice for file transfer tasks.