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Network Working Group G. Malkin Request for Comments: 1177 FTP Software, Inc. FYI: 4 A. Marine

                                                                   SRI
                                                           J. Reynolds
                                                                   ISI
                                                           August 1990
                    FYI on Questions and Answers
      Answers to Commonly asked "New Internet User" Questions

Status of this Memo

 This FYI RFC is one of three FYI's called, "Questions and Answers"
 (Q/A), produced by the User Services Working Group (USWG) of the
 Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).  The goal is to document the
 most commonly asked questions and answers in the Internet.
 This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
 not specify any standard.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Table of Contents

 1. Introduction....................................................   1
 2. Acknowledgements................................................   2
 3. Questions About the Internet....................................   2
 4. Questions About TCP/IP..........................................   3
 5. Questions About Internet Documentation..........................   4
 6. Questions about Internet Organizations and Contacts.............   6
 7. Questions About Services........................................   9
 8. Mailing Lists...................................................  11
 9. References......................................................  11
 10. Suggested Reading..............................................  12
 11. Condensed Glossary.............................................  12
 12. Security Considerations........................................  23
 13. Authors' Addresses.............................................  24

1. Introduction

 New users joining the Internet community for the first time have had
 the same questions as did everyone else who has ever joined.  Our
 quest is to provide the Internet community with up to date, basic
 Internet knowledge and experience, while moving the redundancies away
 from the electronic mailing lists so that the lists' subscribers do
 not have to read the same queries and answers over and over again.
 Future updates of this memo will be produced as USWG members become

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RFC 1177 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users August 1990

 aware of additional questions that should be included, and of
 deficiencies or inaccuracies that should be amended in this document.
 Additional FYI Q/A's will be published which will deal with
 intermediate and advanced Q/A topics.
 The Q/A mailing lists are maintained by Gary Malkin at FTP.COM.  They
 are used by a subgroup of the USWG to discuss the Q/A FYIs.  They
 include:
 quail@ftp.com           This is a discussion mailing list.  Its
                         primary use is for pre-release (to the
                         USWG) review of the Q/A FYIs.
 quail-request@ftp.com   This is how you join the quail mailing list.
 quail-box@ftp.com       This is where the questions and answers
                         will be forwarded-and-stored.  It is
                         not necessary to be on the quail mailing
                         list to forward to the quail-box.

2. Acknowledgements

 The following people deserve thanks for their help and contributions
 to the FYI Q/As: Berlin Moore (PREPNet), Craig Partridge (BBN),
 Jon Postel (ISI), Karen Roubicek (BBNST), James Van Bokkelen (FTP
 Software, Inc.), John Wobus (Syracuse University), and David Paul
 Zimmerman (Rutgers).

3. Questions About the Internet

 I just got on the Internet.  What can I do now?
    You now have access to all the resources you are authorized to use
    on your own Internet host, on any other Internet host on which you
    have an account, and on any other Internet host that offers
    publicly accessible information.  The Internet gives you the
    ability to move information between these hosts via file
    transfers.  Once you are logged into one host, you can use the
    Internet to open a connection to another, log in, and use its
    services interactively.  In addition, you can send electronic mail
    to users at any Internet site and to users on many non-Internet
    sites that are accessible via electronic mail.
    There are various other services you can use.  For example, some
    hosts provide access to specialized databases or to archives of
    information.  The Internet Resource Guide provides information
    regarding some of these sites.  The Internet Resource Guide lists
    facilities on the Internet that are available to users.  Such

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    facilities include supercomputer centers, library catalogs and
    specialized data collections.  The guide is published by the NSF
    Network Service Center (NNSC) and is continuously being updated.
    The Resource Guide is distributed free via e-mail (send a note to
    resource-guide-request@nnsc.nsf.net to join the e-mail
    distribution) and via anonymous FTP (in nnsc.nsf.net:resource-
    guide/*).  Hardcopy is available at a nominal fee (to cover
    reproduction costs) from the NNSC.  Call the NNSC at 617-873-3400
    for more information.
 How do I find out if a site has a computer on the Internet?
    Three good sources to consult are "!%@:: A Directory of Electronic
    Mail Addressing and Networks" by Donnalyn Frey and Rick Adams;
    "The User's Directory to Computer Networks", by Tracy LaQuey; and
    "The Matrix: Computer Networks and Conferencing Systems
    Worldwide", by John Quarterman.
    In addition, it is possible to find some information about
    Internet sites in the WHOIS database maintained at the DDN NIC at
    SRI International.  The DDN NIC provides an information retrieval
    interface to the database that is also called WHOIS.  To use this
    interface, Telnet to NIC.DDN.MIL and type "whois" (carriage
    return).  No login is necessary.  Type "help" at the whois prompt
    for more information on using the facility.  WHOIS will show many
    sites, but may not show every site registered with the DDN NIC
    (simply for reasons having to do with how the program is set up to
    search the database).

4. Questions About TCP/IP

 What is TCP/IP?
    TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) [4,5,6]
    is the common name for a family of data-communications protocols
    used to tie computers and data-communications equipment into
    computer networks.  TCP/IP originated for use on a network called
    ARPANET, but it is currently used on a large international network
    of universities, other research institutions, government
    facilities, and some corporations called the Internet.  TCP/IP is
    also sometimes used for other networks, particularly local area
    networks that tie together numerous different kinds of computers
    or tie together engineering workstations.
 What are the other standard protocols in the TCP/IP family?
    Other than TCP and IP, the three main protocols in the TCP/IP
    suite are the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), the File

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    Transfer Protocol (FTP), and the Telnet Protocol.  There are many
    other protocols in use on the Internet.  The Internet Activities
    Board (IAB) regularly publishes an RFC [2] that describes the
    state of standardization of the various Internet protocols.  This
    document is the best guide to the current status of Internet
    protocols and their recommended usage.

5. Questions About Internet Documentation

 What is an RFC?
    The Request for Comments documents (RFCs) are working notes of the
    Internet research and development community.  A document in this
    series may be on essentially any topic related to computer
    communication, and may be anything from a meeting report to the
    specification of a standard.  Submissions for Requests for
    Comments may be sent to the RFC Editor, Jon Postel
    (POSTEL@ISI.EDU).
    Most RFCs are the descriptions of network protocols or services,
    often giving detailed procedures and formats providing the
    information necessary for creating implementations.  Other RFCs
    report on the results of policy studies or summarize the work of
    technical committees or workshops.
    While RFCs are not refereed publications, they do receive
    technical review from either the task forces, individual technical
    experts, or the RFC Editor, as appropriate.  Currently, most
    standards are published as RFCs, but not all RFCs specify
    standards.
    Anyone can submit a document for publication as an RFC.
    Submissions must be made via electronic mail to the RFC Editor.
    RFCs are distributed online by being stored as public access
    files, and a short message is sent to the distribution list
    indicating the availability of the memo.  Requests to be added to
    this distribution list should be sent to RFC-REQUEST@NIC.DDN.MIL.
    The online files are copied by interested people and printed or
    displayed at their sites on their equipment.  (An RFC may also be
    returned via electronic mail in response to an electronic mail
    query.) This means that the format of the online files must meet
    the constraints of a wide variety of printing and display
    equipment.
    Once a document is assigned an RFC number and published, that RFC
    is never revised or re-issued with the same number.  There is
    never a question of having the most recent version of a particular

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    RFC.  However, a protocol (such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP))
    may be improved and re-documented many times in several different
    RFCs.  It is important to verify that you have the most recent RFC
    on a particular protocol.  The "IAB Official Protocol Standards"
    [2] memo is the reference for determining the correct RFC to refer
    to for the current specification of each protocol.
 How do I obtain RFCs?
    RFCs can be obtained via FTP from NIC.DDN.MIL, with the pathname
    RFC:RFCnnnn.TXT or RFC:RFCnnnn.PS (where "nnnn" refers to the
    number of the RFC).  Login with FTP, username "anonymous" and
    password "guest".  The NIC also provides an automatic mail service
    for those sites which cannot use FTP.  Address the request to
    SERVICE@NIC.DDN.MIL and in the subject field of the message
    indicate the RFC number, as in "Subject: RFC nnnn" (or "Subject:
    RFC nnnn.PS" for PostScript RFCs).
    RFCs can also be obtained via FTP from NIS.NSF.NET.  Using FTP,
    login with username "anonymous" and password "guest"; then connect
    to the RFC directory ("cd RFC").  The file name is of the form
    RFCnnnn.TXT-1 (where "nnnn" refers to the number of the RFC).  The
    NIS also provides an automatic mail service for those sites which
    cannot use FTP.  Address the request to NIS-INFO@NIS.NSF.NET and
    leave the subject field of the message blank.  The first line of
    the text of the message must be "SEND RFCnnnn.TXT-1", where nnnn
    is replaced by the RFC number.
    Requests for special distribution should be addressed to either
    the author of the RFC in question, or to NIC@NIC.DDN.MIL.  Unless
    specifically noted otherwise on the RFC itself, all RFCs are for
    unlimited distribution.
 Which RFCs are Standards?
    See "IAB Official Protocol Standards" (currently, RFC 1140) [2].
 How do I obtain OSI Standards documents from the Internet?
    OSI Standards documents are NOT available from the Internet via
    anonymous FTP due to copyright restrictions.  These are available
    from:
       Omnicom Information Service
       501 Church Street NE
       Suite 304
       Vienna, VA  22180  USA
       Telephone: (800) 666-4266 or (703) 281-1135 Fax: (703) 281-1505

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6. Questions about Internet Organizations and Contacts

 What is the IAB?
    The Internet Activities Board (IAB) is the coordinating committee
    for Internet design, engineering and management [7].  IAB members
    are deeply committed to making the Internet function effectively
    and evolve to meet a large scale, high speed future.  The chairman
    serves a term of two years and is elected by the members of the
    IAB.  The current Chair of the IAB is Vint Cerf.  The IAB focuses
    on the TCP/IP protocol suite, and extensions to the Internet
    system to support multiple protocol suites.
    The IAB performs the following functions:
       1)   Sets Internet Standards,
       2)   Manages the RFC publication process,
       3)   Reviews the operation of the IETF and IRTF,
       4)   Performs strategic planning for the Internet, identifying
            long-range problems and opportunities,
       5)   Acts as an international technical policy liaison and
            representative for the Internet community, and
       6)   Resolves technical issues which cannot be treated within
            the IETF or IRTF frameworks.
    The IAB has two principal subsidiary task forces:
       1)  Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
       2)  Internet Research Task Force (IRTF)
    Each of these Task Forces is led by a chairman and guided by a
    Steering Group which reports to the IAB through its chairman.  For
    the most part, a collection of Research or Working Groups carries
    out the work program of each Task Force.
    All decisions of the IAB are made public.  The principal vehicle
    by which IAB decisions are propagated to the parties interested in
    the Internet and its TCP/IP protocol suite is the Request for
    Comments (RFC) note series and the Internet Monthly Report.

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 What is the IANA?
    The task of coordinating the use of the parameters of protocols is
    delegated by the Internet Activities Board (IAB) to the Internet
    Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).  These protocol parameters are
    op-codes, type fields, terminal types, system names, object
    identifiers, and so on.  The "Assigned Numbers" Request for
    Comments (RFC) [1] documents the currently assigned values from
    several series of numbers used in network protocol
    implementations.
    Current types of assignments listed in Assigned Numbers and
    maintained by the IANA are:
       Address Resolution Protocol Parameters
       ARPANET and MILNET X.25 Address Mappings
       ARPANET and MILNET Logical Addresses
       ARPANET and MILNET Link Numbers
       BOOTP Parameters and BOOTP Extension Codes
       Domain System Parameters
       IANA Ethernet Address Blocks
       Ethernet Numbers of Interest
       IEEE 802 Numbers of Interest
       Internet Protocol Numbers
       Internet Version Numbers
       IP Time to Live Parameter
       IP TOS Parameters
       Machine Names
       Mail Encryption Types
       Multicast Addresses
       Network Management Parameters
       PRONET 80 Type Numbers
       Port Assignments
       Protocol and Service Names
       Protocol/Type Field Assignments
       Public Data Network Numbers
       Reverse Address Resolution Protocol Operation Codes
       Telnet Options
       Terminal Type Names
       Unix Ports
       X.25 Type Numbers
    For more information on number assignments, contact IANA@ISI.EDU.
 What is "The NIC"?
    "The NIC" is the Defense Data Network, Network Information Center
    (DDN NIC) at SRI International, which is a network information

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    center which holds a primary repository for RFCs and Internet
    drafts.  The host name is NIC.DDN.MIL.  Shadow copies of the RFCs
    and the Internet Drafts are maintained by the NSFnet on
    NNSC.NSF.NET and on MERIT.EDU.
    The DDN NIC also provides various user assistance services for DDN
    users; contact NIC@NIC.DDN.MIL or call 1-800-235-3155 for more
    information.  In addition, the DDN NIC is the Internet
    registration authority for the root domain and several top and
    second level domains; maintains the official DoD Internet Host
    Table; is the site of the Internet Registry (IR); and maintains
    the whois database of network users, hosts, domains, networks, and
    Points of Contact.
 What is the IR?
    The Internet Registry (IR) is the organization that is responsible
    for assigning identifiers, such as IP network numbers and
    autonomous system numbers, to networks.  The IR also gathers and
    registers such assigned information.  The IR may, in the future,
    allocate the authority to assign network identifiers to other
    organizations; however, it will continue to gather data regarding
    such assignments.  At present, the DDN NIC at SRI International
    serves as the IR.
 What is the IETF?
    The Internet has grown to encompass a large number of widely
    geographically dispersed networks in academic and research
    communities.  It now provides an infrastructure for a broad
    community with various interests.  Moreover, the family of
    Internet protocols and system components has moved from
    experimental to commercial development.  To help coordinate the
    operation, management and evolution of the Internet, the IAB
    established the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
    The IETF is chaired by Phill Gross and managed by its Internet
    Engineering Steering Group (IESG).  The IETF is a large open
    community of network designers, operators, vendors, and
    researchers concerned with the Internet and the Internet protocol
    suite.  It is organized around a set of eight technical areas,
    each managed by a technical area director.  In addition to the
    IETF Chairman, the area directors make up the IESG membership.
    The IAB has delegated to the IESG the general responsibility for
    making the Internet work and for the resolution of all short- and
    mid-range protocol and architectural issues required to make the
    Internet function effectively.

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 What is the IRTF?
    To promote research in networking and the development of new
    technology, the IAB established the Internet Research Task Force
    (IRTF).
    In the area of network protocols, the distinction between research
    and engineering is not always clear, so there will sometimes be
    overlap between activities of the IETF and the IRTF.  There is, in
    fact, considerable overlap in membership between the two groups.
    This overlap is regarded as vital for cross-fertilization and
    technology transfer.
    The IRTF is a community of network researchers, generally with an
    Internet focus.  The work of the IRTF is governed by its Internet
    Research Steering Group (IRSG).  The chairman of the IRTF and IRSG
    is David Clark.

7. Questions About Services

 How do I find someone's electronic mail address?
    There are a number of directories on the Internet; however, all of
    them are far from complete.  The two largest directories are the
    WHOIS database at the DDN NIC and the PSInet White Pages.
    Generally, it is still necessary to ask the person for his or her
    email address.
 How do I use the WHOIS program at the DDN NIC?
    To use the WHOIS program to search the WHOIS database at the DDN
    NIC, telnet to the NIC host, NIC.DDN.MIL.  There is no need to
    login.  Type "whois" to call up the information retrieval program.
    Next, type the name of the person, host, domain, network, or
    mailbox for which you need information.  If you are only typing
    part of the name, end your search string with a period.  Type
    "help" for a more in-depth explanation of what you can search for
    and how you can search.  If you have trouble, send a message to
    NIC@NIC.DDN.MIL or call 1-800-235-3155.  Bug reports can be sent
    to BUG-WHOIS@NIC.DDN.MIL and suggestions for improvements to the
    program can be sent to SUGGESTIONS@NIC.DDN.MIL.
 How do I become registered in the DDN NIC's WHOIS database?
    If you would like to be listed in the WHOIS database, you must
    have an electronic mailbox accessible from the Internet.  First
    obtain the file NETINFO:USER-TEMPLATE.TXT.  You can either
    retrieve this file via anonymous FTP from NIC.DDN.MIL or get it

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    through electronic mail.  To obtain the file via electronic mail,
    send a message to SERVICE@NIC.DDN.MIL and put the file name in the
    subject line of the message; that is, "Subject: NETINFO USER-
    TEMPLATE.TXT".  The file will be returned to you overnight.
    Fill out the name and address information requested in the file
    and return it to REGISTRAR@NIC.DDN.MIL.  Your application will be
    processed and you will be added to the database.  Unless you are
    an official Point of Contact for a network entity registered at
    the DDN NIC, the DDN NIC will not regularly poll you for updates,
    so you should remember to send corrections to your information as
    your contact data changes.
 How do I use the White Pages at PSI?
    Performance Systems International, Inc. (PSI), sponsors a White
    Pages Pilot Project that collects personnel information from
    member organizations into a database and provides online access to
    that data.  This effort is based on the OSI X.500 Directory
    standard.
    To access the data, telnet to WP.PSI.COM and login as "fred" (no
    password is necessary).  You may now look up information on
    participating organizations.  The program provides help on usage.
    For example, typing "help" will show you a list of commands,
    "manual" will give detailed documentation, and "whois" will
    provide information regarding how to find references to people.
    For a list of the organizations that are participating in the
    pilot project by providing information regarding their members,
    type "whois -org *".
    For more information, send a message to INFO@PSI.COM.
 What is Usenet?  What is Netnews?
    Usenet and Netnews are common names of a distributed computer
    bulletin board system that some computers on the Internet
    participate in.  It is not strictly an Internet service: many
    computers not on the Internet also participate.
 How do I get on Usenet?  How do I get Netnews on my computer?
    To get on Usenet, you must acquire the software, which is
    available for some computers at no cost from some anonymous ftp
    sites across the Internet, and you must find an existing Usenet
    site that is willing to support a connection to your computer.

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 What is anonymous FTP?
    Anonymous FTP is a conventional way of allowing you to sign on to
    a computer on the Internet and copy specified public files from it
    [3].  Some sites offer anonymous FTP to distribute software and
    various kinds of information.  You use it like any FTP, but the
    username is "anonymous" and the password is "guest".

8. Mailing Lists

 What are some good mailing lists or news groups?
    The TCP-IP, IETF, and RFC Distribution lists are primary lists for
    new Internet users who desire further information about current
    and emerging developments in the Internet.  The first two lists
    are unmoderated discussion lists, and the latter is an
    announcement service used by the RFC Editor.
 How do I subscribe to the TCP-IP mailing list?
    To be added to the TCP-IP mailing list, send a message to:
          TCP-IP-REQUEST@NIC.DDN.MIL
 How do I subscribe to the IETF mailing list?
    To be added to the IETF mailing list, send a message to:
          IETF-REQUEST@ISI.EDU
 How do I subscribe to the RFC Distribution list?
    To be added to the RFC Distribution list, send a message to:
          RFC-REQUEST@NIC.DDN.MIL

9. References

 [1] Reynolds, J., and J. Postel, "Assigned Numbers", RFC 1060,
     USC/Information Sciences Institute, March 1990.
 [2] Postel, J., Editor, "IAB Official Protocol Standards", RFC 1140,
     Internet Activities Board, May 1990.
 [3] Postel, J., and J. Reynolds, "File Transfer Protocol (FTP), RFC
     959, USC/Information Sciences Institute, October 1985.
 [4] Postel, J., "Internet Protocol - DARPA Internet Program Protocol

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     Specification", RFC 791, DARPA, September 1981.
 [5] Postel, J., "Transmission Control Protocol - DARPA Internet
     Program Protocol Specification", RFC 793, DARPA, September 1981.
 [6] Leiner, B., R. Cole, J. Postel, and D. Mills, "The DARPA Internet
     Protocol Suite", IEEE INFOCOM85, Washington D.C., March 1985.
     Also in IEEE Communications Magazine, March 1985.  Also as
     ISI/RS-85-153.
 [7] Cerf, V., "The Internet Activities Board" RFC 1160, CNRI, May
     1990.

10. Suggested Reading

 For further information about the Internet and its protocols in
 general, you may choose to obtain copies of the following works:
    Bowers, K., T. LaQuey, J. Reynolds, K. Roubicek, M. Stahl, and A.
    Yuan, "Where to Start - A Bibliography of General Internetworking
    Information", RFC 1175, FYI 3, CNRI, U Texas, ISI, BBN, SRI,
    Mitre, August 1990.
    Comer, D., "Internetworking with TCP/IP: Principles, Protocols,
    and Architecture", Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 1989.
    Krol, E., "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Internet", RFC 1118,
    University of Illinois Urbana, September 1989.

11. Condensed Glossary

 As with any profession, computers have a particular terminology all
 their own.  Below is a condensed glossary to assist in making some
 sense of the Internet world.
 address There are two separate uses of this term in internet
         networking: "electronic mail address" and "internet
         address".   An electronic mail address is the string
         of characters that you must give an electronic mail
         program to direct a message to a particular person.
         See "internet address" for its definition.
 AI      Artificial Intelligence
         The branch of computer science which deals with the
         simulation of human intelligence by computer systems.
 AIX     Advanced Interactive Executive
         IBM's version of Unix.

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 ANSI    American National Standards Institute
         A group that defines U.S. standards for the information
         processing industry.  ANSI participates in defining
         network protocol standards.
 ARP     Address Resolution Protocol
         An Internet protocol which runs on Ethernets and
         Token Rings which maps internet addresses to MAC addresses.
 ARPA    Advanced Research Projects Agency
         The former name of what is now called DARPA.
 ARPANET Advanced Research Projects Agency Network
         A pioneering long haul network funded by ARPA.  It
         served as the basis for early networking research as
         well as a central backbone during the development of
         the Internet.  The ARPANET consisted of individual
         packet  switching computers interconnected by leased lines.
 ASCII   American Standard Code for Information Interchange
 B       Byte
         One character of information, usually eight bits wide.
 b       bit - binary digit
         The smallest amount of information which may be stored
         in a computer.
 BBN     Bolt, Beranek, and Newman, Inc.
         The Cambridge, MA company responsible for development,
         operation and monitoring of the ARPANET, and later,
         the Internet core gateway system, the CSNET Coordination
         and Information Center (CIC), and NSFnet Network
         Service Center (NNSC).
 BITNET  Because It's Time Network
         BITNET has about 2,500 host computers, primarily at
         universities, in many countries.  It is managed by
         EDUCOM, which provides administrative support and
         information services.  There are three
         main constituents of the network: BITNET in the United
         States and Mexico, NETNORTH in Canada, and EARN in
         Europe.  There are also AsiaNet, in Japan, and
         connections in South America.  See CREN.
 bps     bits per second
         A measure of data transmission speed.

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 BSD     Berkeley Software Distribution
         Term used when describing different versions
         of the Berkeley UNIX software, as in "4.3BSD
         UNIX".
 catenet A network in which hosts are connected to networks
         with varying characteristics, and the networks
         are interconnected by gateways (routers).  The
         Internet is an example of a catenet.
 CCITT   International Consultative Committee for
         Telegraphy and Telephony.
 core gateway
         Historically, one of a set of gateways (routers)
         operated by the Internet Network Operations Center
         at BBN.  The core gateway system forms a central part
         of Internet routing in that all groups must advertise
         paths to their networks from a core gateway.
 CREN    The Corporation for Research and Educational Networking
         BITNET and CSNET have recently merged to form CREN.
 CSNET   Computer + Science Network
         A large data communications network for institutions doing
         research in computer science.   It uses several different
         protocols including some of its own.  CSNET sites include
         universities, research laboratories, and commercial
         companies.  See CREN.
 DARPA   U.S. Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
         The government agency that funded the ARPANET and later
         started the Internet.
 datagram
         The unit transmitted between a pair of internet modules.
         The Internet Protocol provides for transmitting blocks of
         data, called datagrams, from sources to destinations.
         The Internet Protocol does not provide a reliable
         communication facility.  There are no acknowledgements
         either end-to-end or hop-by-hop.  There is no error
         control for data, only a header checksum.  There are
         no retransmissions.  There is no flow control.  See IP.
 DCA     Defense Communications Agency
         The government agency responsible for installation of

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         the Defense Data Network (DDN), including the ARPANET
         and MILNET lines and PSNs.  Currently, DCA administers
         the DDN, and supports the user assistance and network
         registration services of the DDN NIC.
 DDN     Defense Data Network
         Comprises the MILNET and several other DoD networks.
 DDN NIC The network information center at SRI International.
         It is the primary repository for RFCs and Internet drafts,
         as well as providing other services.
 DEC     Digital Equipment Corporation
 DECnet  Digital Equipment Corporation network
         A networking protocol for DEC computers and network devices.
 default route
         A routing table entry which is used to direct any data
         addressed to any network numbers not explicitly listed
         in the routing table.
 DOD     U.S. Department of Defense
 DOE     U.S. Department of Energy
 DNS     The Domain Name System is a mechanism used in
         the Internet for translating names of host computers
         into addresses.  The DNS also allows host computers
         not directly on the Internet to have registered
         names in the same style.
 EARN    European Academic Research Network
         One of three main constituents of BITNET.
 EBCDIC  Extended Binary-coded Decimal Interchange Code
 EGP     External Gateway Protocol
         A protocol which distributes routing information to
         the routers and gateways which interconnect networks.
 Ethernet
         A network standard for the hardware and data link levels.
         There are two types of Ethernet: Digital/Intel/Xerox (DIX)
         and IEEE 802.3.

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RFC 1177 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users August 1990

 FIPS    Federal Information Processing Standard
 FTP     File Transfer Protocol
         The Internet standard high-level protocol for
         transferring files from one computer to another.
 gateway A special-purpose dedicated computer that attaches to
         two or more networks and routes packets from one
         network to the other.  In particular, an Internet
         gateway routes IP datagrams among the networks it
         connects.  Gateways route packets to other
         gateways until they can be delivered to the final
         destination directly across one physical network.
 GB      Gigabyte
         A unit of data storage size which represents 2^30 (over
         1 billion) characters of information.
 Gb      Gigabit
         2^30 bits of information (usually used to express a
         data transfer rate; as in, 1 gigabit/second = 1Gbps).
 GNU     Gnu's Not UNIX
         A UNIX-compatible operating system developed by the
         Free Software Foundation.
 header  The portion of a packet, preceding the actual data,
         containing source and destination addresses and
         error-checking fields.
 host number
         The part of an internet address that designates which
         node on the (sub)network is being addressed.
 HP      Hewlett-Packard
 HYPERchannel
         High-speed communications link.
 I/O     Input/Output
 IAB     Internet Activities Board
         The IAB is the coordinating committee for Internet
         design, engineering and management.

User Services Working Group [Page 16]

RFC 1177 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users August 1990

 IBM     International Business Machines Corporation
 IEEE    Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers
 IETF    Internet Engineering Task Force
         The IETF is a large open community of network designers,
         operators, vendors, and researchers whose purpose is to
         coordinate the operation, management and evolution of
         the Internet, and to resolve short- and mid-range
         protocol and architectural issues.  It is a major source
         of proposed protocol standards which are submitted to the
         Internet Activities Board for final approval.  The IETF
         meets three times a year and extensive minutes of the
         plenary proceedings are issued.
 internet
         internetwork
         Any connection of two or more local or wide-area networks.
 Internet
         The global collection of interconnected regional and
         wide-area networks which use IP as the network
         layer protocol.
 internet address
         An assigned number which identifies a host in an internet.
         It has two or three parts: network number, optional subnet
         number, and host number.
 IP      Internet Protocol
         The network layer protocol for the Internet.  It the
         datagram protocol defined by RFC 791.
 IRTF    Internet Research Task Force
         The IRTF is a community of network researchers,
         generally with an Internet focus.  The work of the IRTF
         is governed by its Internet Research Steering Group (IRSG).
 ISO     International Standards Organization
 JvNC    John von Neumann National Supercomputer Center
 KB      Kilobyte
         A unit of data storage size which represents 2^10
         (1024) characters of information.

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RFC 1177 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users August 1990

 Kb      Kilobit
         2^10 bits of information (usually used to express a
         data transfer rate; as in, 1 kilobit/second = 1Kbps = 1Kb).
 KNET    Kangaroo Network
         Hardware/software product (Spartacus/Fibronics) that enables
         IBM mainframes to communicate over networks with the TCP/IP
         protocol suite.
 LAN     Local Area Network
         A network that takes advantage of the proximity of computers
         to offer relatively efficient, higher speed communications
         than long-haul or wide-area networks.
 LISP    List Processing Language
 MAC     Medium Access Control
         For broadcast networks, it is the method which devices use
         to determine which device has line access at any given
         time.
 Mac     Apple Macintosh computer.
 MB      Megabyte
         A unit of data storage size which represents over
         2^20 (one million) characters of information.
 Mb      Megabit
         2^20 bits of information (usually used to express a
         data transfer rate; as in, 1 megabit/second = 1Mbps).
 MILNET  Military Network
         A network used for unclassified military production
         applications.  It is part of the Internet.
 MIT     Massachusetts Institute of Technology
 MTTF    Mean Time to Failure
         The average time between hardware breakdown or loss of
         service.  This may be an empirical measurement or a
         calculation based on the MTTF of component parts.
 MTTR    Mean Time to Recovery
         The average time it takes to restore service after a
         breakdown or loss.  This is usually an empirical measurement.

User Services Working Group [Page 18]

RFC 1177 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users August 1990

 MVS     Multiple Virtual Storage
         An IBM operating system based on OS/1.
 NASA    National Aeronautics and Space Administration
 NBS     National Bureau of Standards
         Now called NIST.
 network number
         The part of an internet address which designates the
         network to which the addressed node belongs.
 NFS     Network File System
         A network service that lets a program running on one
         computer to use data stored on a different computer on
         the same internet as if it were on its own disk.
 NIC     Network Information Center
         An organization which provides network users with
         information about services provided by the network.
 NOC     Network Operations Center
         An organization which is responsible for maintaining
         a network.
 NIST    National Institute of Standards and Technology
         Formerly NBS.
 NSF     National Science Foundation
 NSFNET  National Science Foundation Network
         A high-speed internet that spans the country, and is
         intended for research applications.  It is made up of
         the NSFnet Backbone and the NSFnet regional networks.
         It is part of the Internet.
 NSFNET Backbone
         A network connecting 13 sites across the continental United
         States.  It is the central component of NSFnet.
 NSFNET Regional
         A network connected to the NSFnet Backbone that covers a
         region of the United States.  It is to the regionals that
         local sites connect.

User Services Working Group [Page 19]

RFC 1177 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users August 1990

 NYSERnet
         New York State Educational and Research Network
         An internet which serves NY educational and research
         institutions.   It also serves as the NSFnet regional
         network for New York State.
 OSI     Open Systems Interconnection
         A set of protocols designed to be an international standard
         method for connecting unlike computers and networks.  Europe
         has done most of the work developing OSI and will probably
         use it as soon as possible.
 OSI Reference Model
         An "outline" of OSI which defines its seven layers and
         their functions.  Sometimes used to help describe other
         networks.
 OSPFIGP Open Shortest-Path First Internet Gateway Protocol
         An experimental replacement for RIP.  It addresses some
         problems of RIP and is based upon principles that have
         been well-tested in non-internet protocols.  Often referred
         to simply as OSPF.
 packet  The unit of data sent across a packet switching network.
         The term is used loosely.  While some Internet
         literature uses it to refer specifically to data sent
         across a physical network, other literature views
         the Internet as a packet switching network
         and describes IP datagrams as packets.
 PC      Personal Computer
 PCNFS   Personal Computer Network File System
 POSIX   Portable Operating System Interface
         Operating system based on UNIX.
 protocol
         A formal description of message formats and the rules
         two computers must follow to exchange those messages.
         Protocols can describe low-level details of
         machine-to-machine interfaces (e.g., the order in
         which bits and bytes are sent across a wire)
         or high-level exchanges between allocation
         programs (e.g., the way in which two programs
         transfer a file across the Internet).

User Services Working Group [Page 20]

RFC 1177 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users August 1990

 PSC     Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center
 PSCNET  Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center Network
 RFC     The Internet's Request for Comments documents series
         The RFCs are working notes of the Internet research and
         development community.  A document in this series may be on
         essentially any topic related to computer communication, and
         may be anything from a meeting report to the specification of
         a standard.
 RIP     Routing Interchange Protocol
         One protocol which may be used on internets simply to pass
         routing information between gateways.   It is used on may
         LANs and on some of the NSFnet regional networks.
 RJE     Remote Job Entry
         The general protocol for submitting batch jobs and
         retrieving the results.
 RLOGIN  Remote Login
         A service on internets very similar to TELNET.   RLOGIN was
         invented for use between Berkeley Unix systems on the same
         LAN at a time when TELNET programs didn't provide all the
         services users wanted.   Berkeley plans to phase it out.
 RPC     Remote Procedure Call
         An easy and popular paradigm for implementing the
         client-server model of distributed computing.
 server  A computer that shares its resources, such as printers
         and files, with other computers on the network.  An
         example of this is a Network Files System (NFS)
         Server which shares its disk space with a workstations
         that does not have a disk drive of its own.
 SESQUINET
         Sesquicentennial Network
         Texas-based regional network named for their sesquicentennial
         celebration
 SMTP    Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
         The Internet standard protocol for transferring
         electronic mail messages from one computer to another.
         SMTP specifies how two mail systems interact and the
         format of control messages they exchange to transfer mail.

User Services Working Group [Page 21]

RFC 1177 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users August 1990

 SNA     System Network Architecture
         IBM's data communications protocol.
 subnet  A portion of a network, which may be a physically independent
         network, which shares a network address with other portions
         of the network and is distinguished by a subnet number.  A
         subnet is to a network what a network is to an internet.
 subnet number
         A part of the internet address which designates a subnet.
         It is ignored for the purposes internet routing, but is
         used for intranet routing.
 SURANET Southeastern Universities Research Association Network
         An NSFNET regional network.
 T1      A term for a digital carrier facility used to transmit a
         DS-1 formatted digital signal at 1.544 megabits per second.
 T3      A term for a digital carrier facility used to transmit a DS-3
         formatted digital signal at 44.746 megabits per second.
 TCP     Transmission Control Protocol
         A transport layer protocol for the Internet.  It is a
         connection oriented, stream protocol defined by RFC 793.
 TCP/IP  Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
         This is a common shorthand which refers to the suite
         of application and transport protocols which run over IP.
         These include FTP, Telnet, SMTP, and UDP (a transport
         layer protocol).
 Telenet A public packet-switching network operated by US Sprint.
 Telnet  The Internet standard protocol for remote terminal
         connection service.  Telnet allows a user at one site
         to interact with a remote timesharing system at
         another site as if the user's terminal was connected
         directly to the remote computer.
 Token Ring
         A type of LAN.   Examples are IEEE 802.5, ProNET-10/80 and
         FDDI.  The term "token ring" is often used to denote 802.5
 Tymnet  A public packet-switching network operated by McDonnell
         Douglas Network Systems Company.

User Services Working Group [Page 22]

RFC 1177 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users August 1990

 UDP     User Datagram Protocol
         A transport layer protocol for the Internet.  It is a
         datagram protocol which simply adds a level of reliability
         to IP datagrams.  It is defined by RFC 768.
 ULTRIX  UNIX-based operating system for Digital Equipment Corporation
         computers.
 UNIX    An operating system developed by Bell Laboratories that
         supports multiuser and multitasking operations.
 UUCP    UNIX-to-UNIX Copy Program
         A protocol used for communication between consenting
         UNIX systems.
 VMS     Virtual Memory System
         A Digital Equipment Corporation operating system.
 WAN     Wide Area Network
 WESTNET One of the National Science Foundation funded regional
         TCP/IP networks that covers the states of Arizona,
         Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
 WHOIS   An Internet program which allows users to query a database of
         people and other Internet entities, such as domains, networks,
         and hosts, kept at the NIC.  The information for people shows
         a person's company name, address, phone number and email
         address.
 XNS     Xerox Network System
         A data communications protocol developed by Xerox.  It
         uses Ethernet to move the data between computers.
 X.25    A data communications protocol developed to describe how
         data passes into and out of public data communications
         networks.  The public networks such as Telenet and Tymnet,
         use X.25 to interface to customer computers.

12. Security Considerations

 Security issues are not discussed in this memo.

User Services Working Group [Page 23]

RFC 1177 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users August 1990

13. Authors' Addresses

 Gary Scott Malkin
 FTP Software, Inc.
 26 Princess Street
 Wakefield, MA 01880
 Phone:  (617) 246-0900
 EMail:  gmalkin@ftp.com
 April N. Marine
 SRI International
 Network Information Systems Center
 333 Ravenswood Avenue, EJ294
 Menlo Park, CA 94025
 Phone:  (415) 859-5318
 EMail:  APRIL@NIC.DDN.MIL
 Joyce K. Reynolds
 USC/Information Sciences Institute
 4676 Admiralty Way
 Marina del Rey, CA  90292-6695
 Phone:  (213) 822-1511
 EMail:  jkrey@isi.edu



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