 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
    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
       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
       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
       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
       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
       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:

          -  The Internet Drafts are not RFC's and are not a numbered
             document series.

          -  The words INTERNET-DRAFT appear in place of RFC XXXX
             in the upper left-hand corner.

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

          -  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
       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

          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.

       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
          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
       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
       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
       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
       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.

 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.

    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!


    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:

       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.


 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.


    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
            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.

    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.

    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
            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.

    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


    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.

    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.

    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.

    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

    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.


 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]


 
