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Pronouncing the TCP/IP acronym correctly is easy — you just say the name of each letter. Oh yeah, ignore the slash ( / ). Ready? Go!
Say "T C P I P".
Sometimes it's technically correct to say just "TCP" or just "IP."
 | A protocol is a set of rules for behavior that people accept and obey. For example, in the early 1970s, when friends met on the street they gave each other the peace sign and said, "Right on!" When Siamese citizens met their King (at least in The King and I), everyone kneeled and bowed, and they spoke Siamese (but only when spoken to). |
Where do these behavior rules come from? How is it that they are so well known and understood? These rules aren't always written down, yet society standardizes on certain acceptable behaviors. You can find some minor differences due to circumstances and cultures, but here are some examples of situations when certain behavior is expected:
- When a commoner meets royalty
- When people meet and greet, as in "Enchante de faire votre conaissance" or "Hey dude!"
- On the Titanic, as in "Women and children first."
These examples are part of the formality of connected communication.
Sometimes, the rules are written down — the rules for driving, for example. Still, they vary from country to country and region to region. Similarly, for two or more computers to connect and communicate, they need rules of behavior and conventions.
Common behaviors regarding the connection aren't enough. At any time, you can dial a telephone and connect with a person halfway around the world. But people can communicate only if they have a common language. Similarly, computers need to speak the same language to communicate, and the one they use most often is TCP/IP.
So in the world of computers, a protocol is the collection of designated practices, policies, and procedures — sometimes unwritten but agreed upon by the users — and the language that facilitates electronic communication. If network computers are the basis of the Information Superhighway, the TCP/IP protocols are the rules of the road.
TCP/IP protocols — rules for the internet
Although TCP/IP sounds like it's just one or two protocols, it's really a whole set of protocols for connecting computers into the Internet. This set of protocols is called the TCP/IP stack or protocol suite.
Remember the scene in Jurassic Park when Lex realizes she's on a UNIX system? "I know this!" she hollers, starting to press some keys. It's the beginning of the end for the raptors. Thank goodness it was a UNIX system. Otherwise, Lex would be lunch. Some form of Linux or UNIX exists for every hardware platform. A UNIX user can move from a PC to a mainframe and get around with ease because the basic commands are the same. UNIX is like the McDonald's of operating systems — wherever you are, you know what you're going to get.
When you extend this concept of portability and standardization to network protocols, you can understand why TCP/IP is the industry standard. With TCP/IP networks, users perform the Big Four network tasks — electronic mail (e-mail), file transfer, signing on to remote computers, and surfing the Web — in the same way, regardless of the computer hardware. If your company gets a brand-new computer system that you've never even heard of, the e-mail, file transfer, Web browsing, and remote logon all still work in familiar ways, compliments of TCP/IP.
The fact that TCP/IP is an internationally accepted standard for networking makes it an excellent choice for building the Internet.
Checking out RFCs: The written rules
TCP/IP protocols are written down in special documents called RFCs (Requests for Comments). These RFCs are available for everyone to read and comment on — it's part of the democracy of the Internet.
Knowing who RFC authors are
Who writes RFCs? Maybe you do. When someone comes up with an idea for a new or improved capability for TCP/IP, he or she writes the proposal as an RFC (pronounced R F C) and publishes it on the Internet. You can depend on one thing about RFCs: As long as we have TCP/IP and the Internet, people will write new RFCs.
RFC authors are volunteers and aren't compensated for their creations. Each RFC is assigned a number by which it is known forever after. Reviewers (more volunteers) respond with comments and constructive criticism. RFC authors then revise and update the documents. If everything goes smoothly, the RFC becomes a draft standard. Programmers use the draft standard as they design and build software that implements the functionality described by the RFC. Until there is real working code, the RFC isn't considered documentation of an official standard.
Understanding RFC categories
Three categories of RFCs are on the standards track:
- STD (Standard): Approved technical standard
- Draft standard: RFCs that are on the way to being adopted as standards
- Proposed standards: RFCs that are on the way to being adopted as draft standards
Other RFC categories include
- EXP (Experimental): Part of a research or development project, such as RFC 3283 ("Guide to Internet Calendaring").
- Historic: Most historic RFCs are former standards that are now obsolete and have been replaced by more current RFCs.
- BCP (Best Current Practice): Guidelines and recommendations, such as RFC 2350 ("Expectations for Computer Security Incident Response").
- Informational and FYI (For Your Information): Provide general information, such as RFC 2196 ("Site Security Handbook").
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