How TCP/IP Standards Grow

How TCP/IP Standards Grow

As mentioned in the preceding section, the IETF manages the creation and approval of TCP/IP standards and protocols. The core TCP/IP protocol definitions are written in documents called Requests for Comments (RFCs). Each RFC defines some protocol or standard that is important to the TCP/IP model. The term "RFC" comes from the fact that anyone can comment on the protocol while it is being reviewed before it becomes a standard. In fact, the documents are posted on the Internet so that anyone can look at them and comment before they become an RFC.

If you want to see some of the RFCs that comprise the TCP/IP networking model, all you have to do is use…TCP/IP. That's rightif you use a web browser and connect to http://www.rfc-editor.org, you will be at a website that allows you to look at any and all RFCs. Most people learn about TCP/IP by reading other sources (like this book) before reading RFCs, given the highly technical nature of the RFCs. The point is, anyone can read about the standards, understand them, and implement them.