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rfc:rfc1206

Network Working Group G. Malkin Request for Comments: 1206 FTP Software, Inc. FYI: 4 A. Marine Obsoletes: RFC 1177 SRI

                                                         February 1991
                    FYI on Questions and Answers
      Answers to Commonly asked "New Internet User" Questions

Status of this Memo

 This FYI RFC is one of two FYI's called, "Questions and Answers"
 (Q/A), produced by the User Services Working Group 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.......................................   4
 5. Questions About the Domain Name System.......................   4
 6. Questions About Internet Documentation.......................   5
 7. Questions about Internet Organizations and Contacts..........   9
 8. Questions About Services.....................................  13
 9. Mailing Lists................................................  16
 10. Miscellaneous "Internet lore" questions.....................  17
 11. Suggested Reading...........................................  18
 12. References..................................................  19
 13. Condensed Glossary..........................................  20
 14. Security Considerations.....................................  31
 15. Authors' Addresses..........................................  32

1. Introduction

 New users joining the Internet community have 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 User Services members

User Services Working Group [Page 1] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

 become aware of additional questions that should be included, and of
 deficiencies or inaccuracies that should be amended in this document.
 An additional FYI Q/A 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 User Services Working Group to discuss
 the Q/A FYIs.  They include:
 quail@ftp.com           This is a discussion mailing list.  Its
                         primary use is for pre-release 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 a write-only list which serves as a
                         repository for candidate questions and answers.
                         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 this FYI Q/A:  Vint Cerf (CNRI), Ralph Droms (Bucknell),
 Tracy LaQuey Parker (UTexas), Craig Partridge (SICS), Jon Postel (ISI),
 Joyce K. Reynolds (ISI), Karen Roubicek (BBNST), Marty Schoffstall
 (PSI, Inc.), Patricia Smith (Merit), Gene Spafford (Purdue) and
 James Van Bokkelen (FTP Software, Inc.).

3. Questions About the Internet

 What is the Internet?
    The Internet is a large collection of networks (all of which run
    the TCP/IP protocols) that are tied together so that users of any
    of the networks can use the network services provided by TCP/IP to
    reach users on any of the other networks.  The Internet started
    with the ARPANET, but now includes such networks as NSFNET,
    NYSERnet, and thousands of others.  There are other major wide
    area networks, such as BITNET and DECnet networks, that are not
    based on the TCP/IP protocols and are thus not part of the
    Internet.  However, it is possible to communicate between them and
    the Internet via electronic mail because of mail gateways that act
    as "translators" between the different network protocols involved.
    Note: You will often see "internet" with a small "i".  This could
    refer to any network built based on TCP/IP, or might refer to
    networks using other protocol families that are composites built

User Services Working Group [Page 2] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

    of smaller networks.
 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, login, and use its
    services interactively (this is known as remote login or
    "TELNETTING".  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
    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 of 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 (Defense Data Network, Network
    Information Center) 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

User Services Working Group [Page 3] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

    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 over 100 data-communications
    protocols used to organize computers and data-communications
    equipment into computer networks.  TCP/IP was developed to
    interconnect hosts on ARPANET, PRNET (packet radio), and SATNET
    (packet satellite).  All three of these networks have since been
    retired; but TCP/IP lives on.  It is currently used on a large
    international network of networks called the Internet, whose
    members include universities, other research institutions,
    government facilities, and many corporations.  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 well-known 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) [8], the File
    Transfer Protocol (FTP) [3], and the TELNET Protocol [9].  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 the Domain Name System

 What is the Domain Name System?
    The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical, distributed method
    of organizing the name space of the Internet.  The DNS
    administratively groups hosts into a hierarchy of authority that
    allows addressing and other information to be widely distributed
    and maintained.  A big advantage to the DNS is that using it
    eliminates dependence on a centrally-maintained file that maps
    host names to addresses.
 What is a Fully Qualified Domain Name?
    A Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) is a domain name that

User Services Working Group [Page 4] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

    includes all higher level domains relevant to the entity named.
    If you think of the DNS as a tree-structure with each node having
    its own label, a Fully Qualified Domain Name for a specific node
    would be its label followed by the labels of all the other nodes
    between it and the root of the tree.  For example, for a host, a
    FQDN would include the string that identifies the particular host,
    plus all domains of which the host is a part up to and including
    the top-level domain (the root domain is always null).  For
    example, PARIS.NISC.SRI.COM is a Fully Qualified Domain Name for
    the host at 192.33.33.109.  In addition, NISC.SRI.COM is the FQDN
    for the NISC domain.

6. 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 for their
    implementation.  Other RFCs report on the results of policy
    studies or summarize the work of technical committees or
    workshops.  All RFCs are considered public domain unless
    explicitly marked otherwise.
    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.
    Please consult RFC 1111, "Instructions to RFC Authors" [10], for
    further information.  RFCs are accessible online in public access
    files, and a short message is sent to a notification 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

User Services Working Group [Page 5] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

    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
    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 using 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.  SRI
    International operates NIC.DDN.MIL and has a hardcopy subscription
    service for RFCs as well as several publications which incorporate
    a selection of RFCs defining Internet standards.  Unless
    specifically noted otherwise on the RFC itself, all RFCs are for
    unlimited distribution.
 How do I obtain a list of RFCs?
    The NIC maintains a file that is an index of the RFCs.  It lists
    each RFC, starting with the most recent, and for each RFC provides

User Services Working Group [Page 6] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

    the number, title, author(s), issue date, and number of hardcopy
    pages.  In addition, it lists the online formats (PostScript or
    ASCII text) for each RFC and the number of bytes each such version
    is online on the NIC.DDN.MIL host.  If an RFC is also an FYI, that
    fact is noted, with the corresponding FYI number.  (There is a
    parallel FYI Index available).  Finally, the Index notes whether
    or not an RFC is obsoleted or updated by another RFC, and gives
    the number of that RFC, or if an RFC itself obsoletes or updates
    another RFC, and gives that RFC number.  The index is updated
    online each time an RFC is issued.
    This RFC Index is available online from the NIC.DDN.MIL host as
    RFC:RFC-INDEX.TXT.  The FYI Index is online as FYI:FYI-INDEX.TXT.
    It is also available from the NIC in hardcopy for $10, as are
    individual RFCs.  Call the NIC at 1-800-235-3155 for help in
    obtaining the file.
 Which RFCs are Standards?
    See "IAB Official Protocol Standards" (currently, RFC 1140) [2].
 What is an Internet Draft?  Are there any guidelines available for
 writing one?
    Internet Drafts (I-D's) are the current working documents of the
    IETF.  Internet Drafts are generally in the format of an RFC with
    some key differences:
  1. The Internet Drafts are not RFC's and are not a numbered

document series.

  1. The words INTERNET-DRAFT appear in place of RFC XXXX

in the upper left-hand corner.

  1. The document does not refer to itself as an RFC or as a

Draft RFC.

  1. An Internet Draft does not state nor imply that it is a

proposed standard. To do so conflicts with the role of

          the IAB, the RFC Editor, and the Internet Engineering
          Steering Group (IESG).
    An Internet Drafts Directory has been installed to make available,
    for review and comment by the IETF members, draft documents that
    will be submitted ultimately to the IAB and the RFC Editor to be
    considered for publishing as an RFC.  The Internet Drafts
    Directories are maintained primarily at the NSFNET Network Service
    Center (NNSC).  There are several "shadow" machines which contain

User Services Working Group [Page 7] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

    the IETF and Internet Drafts Directories.  They are:
       NSF Network Service Center:  nnsc.nsf.net
       DDN NIC:  nic.ddn.mil
       Pacific Rim:  munnari.oz.au
       Europe:  nic.nordu.net (192.36.148.17)
    To access these directories, use anonymous FTP.  Login with
    username, "anonymous", password, "guest".  Once logged in, change
    to the directory, "cd internet-drafts".  Internet Draft files can
    then be retrieved.
    For further information on the Internet Drafts of the IETF, or if
    you have problems with retrieving Internet Draft documents,
    contact Megan Davies (mdavies@nri.reston.va.us) or Greg Vaudreuil
    (gvaudre@nri.reston.va.us) for assistance.
 How do I obtain OSI Standards documents?
    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
    However, the GOSIP specification which covers the use of OSI
    protocols within the U.S. Government is available from the NIC and
    from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
    The final text of GOSIP Version 2 is now available from both
    sites.  Version 2 is expected to become a Federal Information
    Processing Standard (FIPS) in early 1991.
    Online sources:
       Available through anonymous ftp from osi.ncsl.nist.gov
       (129.6.48.100) as:
              ./pub/gosip/gosip_v2.txt        -- ascii
              ./pub/gosip/gosip_v2.txt.Z      -- ascii compressed
              ./pub/gosip/gosip_v2.ps         -- PostScript
              ./pub/gosip/gosip_v2.ps.Z       -- PostScript compressed

User Services Working Group [Page 8] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

       Available through anonymous ftp from nic.ddn.mil (192.67.67.20)
       as:
               PROTOCOLS:GOSIP-V2.TXT        -- ascii
               PROTOCOLS:GOSIP-V2.PS         -- PostScript
       Hardcopy sources:
      Standards Processing Coordinator (ADP)
      National Institute of Standards and Technology
      Technology Building, Room B-64
      Gaithersburg, MD  20899
      (301) 975-2816
      Network Information Systems Center
      SRI International, Room EJ291
      333 Ravenswood Ave.
      Menlo Park, CA  94025
      1-800-235-3155

7. 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.

User Services Working Group [Page 9] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

    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.
 What is the IANA?
    The task of coordinating the assignment of values to the
    parameters of protocols is delegated by the Internet Activities
    Board (IAB) to the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).
    These protocol parameters include 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.  Internet addresses and Autonomous
    System numbers are assigned by the Network Information Center at
    SRI International.  This responsibility has been delegated by the
    IANA to the DDN NIC which serves as the Internet Registry.  The
    IANA is located at USC/Information Sciences Institute.
    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

User Services Working Group [Page 10] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

       Mail Encryption Types
       Multicast Addresses
       Network Management Parameters
       Point-to-Point Protocol Field Assignments
       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 a NIC?  What is a NOC?
    "NIC" stands for Network Information Center.  It is an
    organization which provides network users with information about
    services provided by the network.
    "NOC" stands Network Operations Center.  It is an organization
    that is responsible for maintaining a network.
    For many networks, especially smaller, local networks, the
    functions of the NIC and NOC are combined.  For larger networks,
    such as mid-level and backbone networks, the NIC and NOC
    organizations are separate, yet they do need to interact to fully
    perform their functions.
 What is "The NIC"?
    "The NIC" is the Defense Data Network, Network Information Center
    (DDN NIC) at SRI International, which is a network information
    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
    NIS.NSF.NET.
    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

User Services Working Group [Page 11] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

    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 several 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.
 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

User Services Working Group [Page 12] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

    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.

8. 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 largest directories are the WHOIS
    database at the DDN NIC, the PSInet White Pages, and KNOWBOT.
    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
    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

User Services Working Group [Page 13] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

    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 WP-INFO@PSI.COM.
 How do I use the Knowbot Information Service?
    The Knowbot Information Service is a white pages "meta-service"
    that provides a uniform interface to heterogeneous white pages
    services in the Internet.  Using the Knowbot Information Service,
    you can form a single query that can search for white pages
    information from the NIC WHOIS service, the CSNET WHOIS service,
    the PSI White Pages Pilot Project, and MCI Mail, among others, and
    have the responses displayed in a single, uniform format.
    Currently, the Knowbot Information Service can be accessed through
    TELNET to port 185 on hosts nri.reston.va.us and sol.bucknell.edu.
    From a UNIX host, use "telnet nri.reston.va.us 185".  There is
    also an electronic mail interface avaliable by sending mail to
    netaddress at either nri.reston.va.us or sol.bucknell.edu.
    The commands "help" and "man" summarize the command interface.
    Simply entering a user name at the prompt searches a default list
    of Internet directory services for the requested information.
    Organization and country information can be included thorgh the
    syntax: "userid@organization.country".  For example, the queries
    "droms@bucknell" and "kille@ucl.gb" are both valid.  Note that
    these are not Domain Names, but rather a syntax to specify an
    organization and a country for the search.
    The default list of directory services currently includes the

User Services Working Group [Page 14] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

    whois services at the SRI NIC and the CSNET NIC and the white
    pages service for MCIMail.  If an organization is specified, the
    PSI X.500 service is also searched.  Other services can be
    requested explicitly.
 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.  Netnews can be a
    valuable tool to economize what might otherwise be a large volume
    of traffic from electronic mailing lists.
 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.  In
    many cases, this "connection" merely represents additional traffic
    over existing Internet access channels.
 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".  Many systems will allow any password and
    request that the password you choose is your userid.  If this
    fails, the generic password is usually "guest".
 What is "TELNET"?
    The term "TELNET" refers to the remote login that's possible on
    the Internet because of the TELNET Protocol [9].  The use of this
    term as a verb, as in "telnet to a host" means to establish a
    connection across the Internet from one host to another.  Usually,
    you must have an account on the remote host to be able to login to
    it once you've made a connection.  However, some hosts, such as
    those offering white pages directories, provide public services
    that do not require a personal account.

User Services Working Group [Page 15] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

9. Mailing Lists

 What is a mailing list?
    A mailing list is really nothing more than an alias that has
    multiple destinations.  Mailing lists are usually created to
    discuss specific topics.  Anybody interested in that topic, may
    (usually) join that list.  Some mailing lists have membership
    restrictions, others have message content restrictions, and still
    others are moderated.  Most large, "public" mailing lists, such as
    IETF and TCP-IP, have an additional mail address to which requests
    to be added or deleted may be sent.  Usually, these are of the
    form listname-request.
    There is a "list-of-lists" file available on the host
    ftp.nisc.sri.com that lists most of the major mailing lists,
    describes their primary topics, and explains how to subscribe to
    them.  The file is available for anonymous ftp in the netinfo
    directory as interest-groups (that is, the path is:
    netinfo/interest-groups).  It can also be obtained via electronic
    mail.  Send a message to mail-server@nisc.sri.com with the body of
    the message reading, "Send netinfo/interest-groups" and the file
    will be returned in moderate size pieces via electronic mail.
 How do I contact the administrator of a mailing list rather than
 posting to the entire list?
    For every mailing list mentioned in the "interest-groups" file, there
    is a description of how to join the list or send other such
    administrative messages to the person in charge of the list.  In
    general, however, it is usually safe to assume that you can send a
    message to an address in the format of ListName-request@domain.  The
    convention of having a parallel mailbox conforming to the
    "-request" format is very widely followed.  All administrative
    messages regarding using, joining, or quitting the list should be
    sent to that mailbox instead of to the whole list so that the readers
    of the list don't have to read them.
 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.

User Services Working Group [Page 16] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

 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

10. Miscellaneous "Internet lore" questions

 What does :-) mean?
    In many electronic mail messages, it is sometimes useful to
    indicate that part of a message is meant in jest.  It is also
    sometimes useful to communicate emotion which simple words do not
    readily convey.  To provide these nuances, a collection of "smiley
    faces" has evolved.  If you turn your head sideways to the left,
    :-) appears as a smiling face.  Some of the more common faces are:
       :-)  smile
       :)   also a smile
       :-D  laughing
       :-}  grin
       :-]  smirk
       :-(  frown
       ;-)  wink
       8-)  wide-eyed
       :-X  close mouthed
       :-o  oh, no!

User Services Working Group [Page 17] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

 What do "btw", "fyi", "imho", "wrt", and "rtfm" mean?
    Often commmon expressions are abbreviated in informal network
    postings.  These abbreviations stand for "by the way", "for your
    information", "in my humble [or honest] opinion", "with respect
    to", and "read the f*ing manual" (with the "f" word varying
    according to the vehemence of the reader).
 What is the "FAQ" list?
    This list provides answers to "Frequently Asked Questions" that
    often appear on various Usenet newsgroups.  The list is posted
    every four to six weeks to the news.announce.newusers group.  It
    is intended to provide a background for new users learning how to
    use the news.  As the FAQ list provide new users with the answers
    to such questions, it helps keep the newsgroups themselves
    comparatively free of repetition.  Often specific newsgroups will
    have and frequently post versions of a FAQ list that are specific
    to their topics.
    Other information is also routinely posted.  Here are the subject
    lines of several general information postings provided on Usenet:
       Answers to Frequently Asked Questions  (the "FAQ" list)
       Introduction to news.announce
       Rules for posting to Usenet
       How to Create a New Newsgroup
       How to Create a New Trial Newsgroup
       A Primer on How to Work With the Usenet Community
       Emily Postnews Answers Your Questions on Netiquette
       Hints on writing style for Usenet
       USENET Software: History and Sources
       List of Active Newsgroups
       Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies
       How to Construct the Mailpaths File
       Regional Newsgroup Hierarchies
       List of Moderators
       Publicly Accessible Mailing Lists
       List of Periodic Informational Postings
       How to Get Information about Networks
       A Guide to Social Newsgroups and Mailing Lists

11. Suggested Reading

 For further information about the Internet and its protocols in
 general, you may choose to obtain copies of the following works:

User Services Working Group [Page 18] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

    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.

12. 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
     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.
 [8] Postel, J., "Simple Mail Transport Protocol", RFC 788,
     USC/Information Sciences Institute, November 1981.
 [9] Postel, J., and J. Reynolds, "TELNET Protocol Specification", RFC
     854, USC/Information Sciences Institute, May 1983.
[10] Postel, J., "Request for Comments on Request for Comments -
     Instructions to RFC Authors", RFC 1111, USC/Information Sciences
     Institute, August 1989.

User Services Working Group [Page 19] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

13. 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.
 ACM     Association for Computer Machinery
         A group established in 1947 to promote professional
         development and research on computers.
 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.
 ANSI    American National Standards Institute
         A group that certifies organizations which develop U.S.
         standards for the information processing industry.  ANSI
         accredited groups participate in defining network protocol
         standards.
 ARP     Address Resolution Protocol
         An Internet protocol which runs on Ethernet and all IEEE
         802.X LANs 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.
 AS      Autonomous System
         A collection of gateways (routers) under a single
         administrative authority using a common Interior Gateway
         Protocol for routing packets.

User Services Working Group [Page 20] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

 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.
 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 Telegraph and Telephone
         Consultative Committee
 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

User Services Working Group [Page 21] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

         of Internet routing in that all groups had to 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
         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.

User Services Working Group [Page 22] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

 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.
 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, but returns the electronic
         mail gateway which accesses the non-Internet network
         instead of an IP address.
 DOD     U.S. Department of Defense
 DOE     U.S. Department of Energy
 dot address (dotted address notation)
         Dot address refers to the common notation for Internet
         addresses of the form A.B.C.D; where each letter represents,
         in decimal, one byte of the four byte IP address.
 EARN    European Academic Research Network
         One of three main constituents of BITNET.
 EBCDIC  Extended Binary-coded Decimal Interchange Code
 EGP     Exterior Gateway Protocol
         A protocol which distributes routing information to the
         gateways (routers) which connect autonomous systems.
 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.
 FDDI    Fiber Distributed Data Interface
         FDDI is a high-speed (100Mb) token ring LAN.
 FIPS    Federal Information Processing Standard
 FTP     File Transfer Protocol
         The Internet standard high-level protocol for
         transferring files from one computer to another.

User Services Working Group [Page 23] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

 gateway See router
 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.
 IBM     International Business Machines Corporation
 ICMP    Internet Control Message Protocol
         ICMP is an extension to the Internet Protocol.  It
         allows for the generation of error messages,
         test packets and informational messages related to IP.
 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

User Services Working Group [Page 24] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

         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 local, mid-level 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 is a packet
         switching, datagram protocol defined in 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 Organization for Standardization
 KB      Kilobyte
         A unit of data storage size which represents 2^10
         (1024) characters of information.
 Kb      Kilobit
         2^10 bits of information (usually used to express a
         data transfer rate; as in, 1 kilobit/second = 1Kbps = 1Kb).
 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.

User Services Working Group [Page 25] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

 LISP    List Processing Language
         A high-level computer language invented by Professor John
         McCarthy in 1961 to support research into computer based
         logic, logical reasoning, and artificial intelligence.  It
         was the first symbolic (as opposed to numeric) computer
         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.
 MAN     Metropolitan Area Network
 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 DDN and 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 (or Repair)
         The average time it takes to restore service after a
         breakdown or loss.  This is usually an empirical measurement.
 MVS     Multiple Virtual Storage
         An IBM operating system based on OS/1.
 NASA    National Aeronautics and Space Administration

User Services Working Group [Page 26] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

 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 that is responsible for maintaining
         a network.
 NIST    National Institute of Standards and Technology
         Formerly NBS.
 NSF     National Science Foundation
 NSFNET  National Science Foundation Network
         The NSFNET is a highspeed "network of networks" which is
         hierarchical in nature.  At the highest level is a network
         that spans the continental United States.  Attached to that
         are mid-level networks and attached to the mid-levels are
         campus and local networks.  NSFNET also has connections out
         of the U.S. to Canada, Mexico, Europe, and the Pacific Rim.
         The NSFNET is part of the Internet.
 NSFNET  Mid-level Level Network
         A network connected to the highest level of the NSFNET that
         covers a region of the United States.  It is to mid-level
         networks that local sites connect.  The mid-level networks
         were once called "regionals".
 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.

User Services Working Group [Page 27] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

 OSI Reference Model
         An "outline" of OSI which defines its seven layers and
         their functions.  Sometimes used to help describe other
         networks.
 OSPF    Open Shortest-Path First Interior Gateway Protocol
         A proposed replacement for RIP.  It addresses some
         problems of RIP and is based upon principles that have
         been well-tested in non-internet protocols.  Originally
         acronymed as OSPFIGP.
 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.
 PPP     Point-to-Point Protocol
         The Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) provides a method for
         transmitting datagrams over serial point-to-point links.
 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).
 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.

User Services Working Group [Page 28] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

 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 intermediate level 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.
 router  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.
 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 one or more
         workstations that may not have local disk drives of
         their own.
 SLIP    Serial Line Internet Protocol
         SLIP is currently a defacto standard, commonly used for
         point-to-point serial connections running TCP/IP.  It is
         not an Internet standard but is defined in RFC 1055.
 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.
 SNA     System Network Architecture
         IBM's data communications protocol.

User Services Working Group [Page 29] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

 SNMP    Simple Network Management Protocol
         The Simple Network Management Protocol (RFC 1157) is the
         Internet's standard for remote monitoring and management
         of hosts, routers and other nodes and devices on a network.
 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.
 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.
         Also known as "SprintNet".
 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.
 THEnet  The Texas Higher Education Network, a multiprotocol
         network connecting most major academic and research
         institutions in the State of Texas, as well as several
         institutions in Mexico.
 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

User Services Working Group [Page 30] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

 Tymnet  A public character-switching/packet-switching network
         operated by British Telecom.
 UDP     User Datagram Protocol
         A transport layer protocol for the Internet.  It is a
         datagram protocol which adds a level of reliability and
         multiplexing to IP datagrams.  It is defined in 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
 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 suite developed by Xerox.  It
         uses Ethernet to move the data between computers.
 X.25    A data communications interface specification developed to
         describe how data passes into and out of public data
         communications networks.  The public networks such as
         Sprintnet and Tymnet use X.25 to interface to customer
         computers.

14. Security Considerations

 Security issues are not discussed in this memo.

User Services Working Group [Page 31] RFC 1206 FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users February 1991

15. 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

User Services Working Group [Page 32]

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