4. A Brief History
• A network is a group of connected,
communicating devices such as
computers and printers
• An internet is two or more networks that
can communicate with each other
• The most notable internet is called the
Internet
9. Protocol
• A protocol is a set of rules that governs
communication
http://www.teracomtraining.com/online-courses-
certification/samples/lesson1104-protocols-and-
standards.htm
10. • For communication to occur among
entities, they must agree on a protocol
We agree
to talk in
English…
11. • In computer networks, communication
occurs between entities in different
systems
12. • The key elements of a protocol
– Syntax
– Semantics
– Timing
A protocol defines what is communicated,
how it is communicated, and when it is
communicated
13. Syntax
• Syntax refers to the structure or format of
the data, meaning the order in which they
are presented
17. Standards
• Standards are essential in
– creating and maintaining an open and competitive
market for equipment manufacturers
– guaranteeing national and international
interoperability of data and telecommunications
technology and processes
• Standards provide guidelines to manufacturers,
vendors, government agencies, and other
service providers to ensure the kind of
interconnectivity necessary in today’s
marketplace and in international
communications
18. • De facto standard ( “by fact” or “by
convention”)
– Standards that have not been approved by an
organized body but have been adopted as
standards through widespread use are de
facto standards
– Examples of de facto standards are MS Office
and various DVD standards
19. • De jure standards ( “by law” or “by
regulation”)
– Standards that have been legislated by an
officially recognized body
21. Forum
To accommodate the need for
working models and
agreements and to facilitate the
standardization process, many
special-interest groups have
developed forums made up of
representatives from interested
corporations
23. INTERNET STANDARDS
• An Internet standard is a thoroughly tested
specification that is useful to and adhered
to by those who work with the Internet
• It is a formalized regulation that must be
followed
• There is a strict procedure by which a
specification attains Internet standard
status
24. • A specification begins as an Internet draft
• Upon recommendation from the Internet
authorities, a draft may be published as a
Request for Comment (RFC)
• Each RFC is edited, assigned a number, and
made available to all interested parties
• RFCs can be found at http://www.rfc-editor.org
28. • Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN)
– IANA, supported by the U.S. government, was
responsible for the management of Internet domain
names and addresses until October 1998
– ICANN, a private nonprofit corporation managed by
an international board, assumed IANA operations
• Network Information Center (NIC)
– Responsible for collecting and distributing information
about TCP/IP protocols
