Network Reading List:
TCP/IP, UNIX, and Ethernet
Charles Spurgeon
UTnet Network Information Center
University of Texas at Austin
Document Version 3.0
August, 1991
Copyright (c) 1991. Permission to copy without fee all or
part of this material is granted provided that the copies
are not made or distributed for direct commercial advantage.
Copies must show the University of Texas at Austin as the
source, and include this notice.
Abstract
This annotated list of resources is intended for network
managers, developers, and users at the University of Texas
at Austin, or anywhere that TCP/IP, UNIX, and Ethernet are
used to provide computer communications.* These three net-
working technologies share the same major attribute: they
can be used to build interoperable network systems across a
wide range of computer equipment. Because of their ability
*UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T, Ethernet is a
trademark of Xerox Inc.
to provide the glue that holds networks together, TCP/IP,
UNIX, and Ethernet are in wide use on campus and at many
other sites.
Introduction
This annotated list of resources was created to help you
find information about TCP/IP, UNIX, and Ethernet. The list
describes a number of items, including both introductory and
in-depth information. Many items have material quoted to
help indicate their scope and organization.
This list is not comprehensive; instead it tries to describe
those items that cover the territory well, and that deal
with real-world problems found on growing networks. This
list is not current either; the amount of literature in this
field is large and growing every day.
Why These Three Technologies?
The three technologies featured in this list are in wide use
on campus, at research centers, and at a growing number of
companies worldwide. The popularity of TCP/IP, UNIX, and
Ethernet is largely due to the non-proprietary nature of
these technologies, which helps make interoperable network-
ing possible. By using this set of networking technologies
you can interact with a wide range of computers.
All three technologies are "open" in that the software and
specifications are readily available. For example, each
release of Berkeley UNIX has furthered the goal of replacing
AT&T-controlled source with Berkeley-controlled source, mak-
ing the networking software more widely available. The
TCP/IP protocols were developed with public funding and are
in the public domain. The specification for Ethernet was
published by a multi-vendor consortium and has since become
a world-wide standard. Any vendor can develop products
based on these three widely available technologies, and many
have. This openness is the key to the network interopera-
bility that these technologies provide.
While there is no precise definition of network interopera-
bility, it is often taken to mean a set of computers of
widely varying types that are capable of working well
together. In an interoperable network system you can get
your work done across a large range of computer systems
linked by a common set of standard network protocols, net-
work software, and network hardware.
In the network computing environment on campus today you
will find equipment in use that comes from a wide variety of
computer vendors. In such an environment interoperability
isn't just a desirable feature, it's essential to the opera-
tion of the network system.
Another common feature of today's networks is their growth
and increasing complexity. TCP/IP, UNIX, and Ethernet have
proven their ability to adapt as networks evolve and more
and more users are added. By using these three technolo-
gies, it's possible to build large networks that are both
reliable and fast, and that support thousands of users.
Organization
The list was designed to be as self-contained as possible,
and to make it easier for you to decide whether you want to
follow up on a given resource.
ISBN book numbers are shown to make it easier to find and
order the books listed here. Prices are included when
available. The prices should be treated only as a rough
guide however, since they may have changed by the time you
read this list.
Comments, corrections, etc. are welcome and may be sent to
utnet@utexas.edu.
Section 1: TCP/IP
Section 1
1. TCP/IP
A major advantage of the TCP/IP protocol suite is that it is
widely implemented in many computer systems. This makes it
possible for network managers to use TCP/IP protocols to
link computers from many vendors.
The TCP/IP protocol suite is a set of network standards ori-
ginally developed for the Advanced Research Projects Agency
(ARPA), of the US Department of Defense. This development
led to the creation of the ARPANET which, in turn, led to
today's system of national networks. The nationwide network
system interconnects many regional network systems. The
regional networks link university campuses and corporate
sites. This growing system of interoperating TCP/IP net-
works, called the Internet, now spans the globe. This sys-
tem of IP networks allows you to send electronic mail,
transfer files, and log in to computers no matter where they
are located, as long as they are attached to the Internet.
The formal network standards for the TCP/IP protocol suite
are available as a set of documents known as Request for
Comments (RFCs). The RFCs contain a wealth of material, and
some recent RFCs are written specifically to provide
tutorial information on the TCP/IP protocol suite.
However, most of the RFCs are technical specifications and
do not contain introductory material to help the newcomer.
Also, the details of managing a TCP/IP network are not
covered in the formal network protocol specifications. To
help fill in the gaps, this section begins with a look at
some books that explain how things work. It also includes
several guides to the worldwide network system that has
grown up around the TCP/IP protocols.
1.1. Introduction To TCP/IP
o Internetworking With TCP/IP,
Volume I Principles, Protocols, and Architecture
Douglas E. Comer.
1991, Second Edition, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs,
New Jersey, 547 pps. with index and bibliography.
ISBN 0-13-468505-9.
$48.00.
Comer's writing style is clear and the book is well organ-
ized, making this a good starting point for anyone who wants
to know how the TCP/IP protocol suite works. The book pro-
vides an introduction and guide to the entire TCP/IP proto-
col suite. The basic concepts behind internetworking are
Page 1
Section 1: TCP/IP
described, as well as LAN technologies such as Ethernet and
ProNET. With the basics covered, Comer goes on to explain
how the essential elements of the TCP/IP protocols function,
including examples of network applications based on the pro-
tocols.
A glossary is included to help deal with all the special
terms and jargon found in the networking world. Appendix 1
features a guide to the RFCs that includes a listing of the
RFCs by category, to help make it easier to find the RFCs
you need.
From the Preface:
"Most textbooks and network courses concentrate on the first
two stages of network research, presenting the well-known
theories of data communications and queueing analysis.
Although such information is important to engineers who
design network technologies and hardware products, most net-
work architects purchase commercially available network
hardware. Instead of detailed knowledge about how bits or
packets flow across communication media, they need to know
how to interconnect such hardware and how to use the result-
ing system."
"This text concentrates on the third stage of networking.
It examines the architecture of interconnected networks and
explains the principles and protocols that make such inter-
connected architectures function as a single unified commun-
ication system. More important, it shows how an intercon-
nected architecture can be used for distributed computa-
tion."
"Designed as both a college text and as a professional
reference, the book is written at an advanced undergraduate
or graduate level. For professionals, the book provides a
comprehensive introduction to the TCP/IP technology and the
architecture of the Internet. Although it is not intended
to replace protocol standards, the book is a good starting
point for learning about internetworking because it provides
a uniform overview that emphasizes principles. Moreover, it
gives the reader perspective that can be extremely difficult
to obtain from individual protocol documents."
"The book is organized into four main parts. Chapters 1 and
2 form an introduction that provides an overview and
discusses existing technologies. In particular, Chapter 2
reviews physical network hardware. The intention is to pro-
vide basic intuition about what is possible, not to spend
inordinate time on hardware details. Chapters 3-12 describe
the TCP/IP Internet from the viewpoint of a single host,
showing the basic services available and the protocols a
host uses to access them. They cover the basics of Internet
Page 2
Section 1: TCP/IP
addressing and routing as well as the notion of protocol
layering. Chapters 13-17 describe the architecture of the
Internet when viewed globally. They explore the core gate-
way system and the protocols gateways use to exchange rout-
ing information. Chapters 18-26 discuss application level
services available in the Internet. They present the
client-server model of interaction and give several examples
of how one can organize client and server software. The
last section discusses electronic mail and the domain name
system, two topics that are extremely popular."
o Internetworking With TCP/IP, Volume II
Design, Implementation, and Internals.
Douglas E. Comer, David L. Stevens
1991, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 524
pps. with index and bibliography.
ISBN 0-13-472242-6.
$48.00.
Volume II continues the description of the TCP/IP protocol
suite with an example implementation. The implementation is
from the Xinu operating system, also developed by Douglas
Comer. This makes it possible to easily distribute the
software, since Xinu is a research system and none of the
software is subject to commercial licensing.
The book features large amounts of C code that are
integrated with the text. Comer notes that the work on the
Xinu implementation has attempted to follow the RFC specifi-
cations closely, with the result that it obeys the TCP/IP
standards more strictly than many commercial implementa-
tions.
From the Preface:
"Since the publication of Internetworking With TCP/IP in
1988, many readers have asked for a second volume that pro-
vides more information on how the TCP/IP protocols operate.
This text attempts to satisfy the need for additional infor-
mation. It examines the details of individual protocols,
discuses their implementation, and focuses on the internals
of protocol software."
"To help explain the interaction among protocols and to
insure that our solutions fit together, we designed and
built a working system that serves as a central example
throughout the text. The system provides most of the proto-
cols in the TCP/IP suite, including: TCP, IP, ICMP, UDP,
ARP, RIP, and SNMP. In addition, it has an example client
and server for the finger service. Because the text con-
tains code for each protocol, the reader can study the
implementation and understand its internal structure. Most
important, because the example system integrates the
Page 3
Section 1: TCP/IP
protocol software into a working whole, the reader can
clearly understand the interaction among protocols."
From the Introduction:
"This book explores TCP/IP protocols in great detail. It
reviews concepts and explains nuances in each protocol. It
discusses abstractions that underlie TCP/IP software, and
describes the data structures and procedures that implement
the protocols. Finally, it reviews design choices, and
discusses the consequence of design alternatives."
"To provide a concrete example of protocol implementation,
and to help the reader understand the relationships among
protocols, the text takes an integrated view - it focuses on
a complete working system. It shows data structures and
source code, and explains the principles underlying each."
"This text is organized around the TCP/IP protocol stack in
approximately the same order as Volume I. It begins with a
review of the operating system functions that TCP uses, fol-
lowed by a brief description of the device interface layer.
Remaining chapters describe the TCP/IP protocols, and show
example code to illustrate the implementation of each."
o Introduction to the Internet Protocols
Charles L. Hedrick.
1987, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 27
pps.
Available via anonymous FTP from host cs.rutgers.edu in
the runet subdirectory. The file is called tcp-ip-
intro.doc and a PostScript version is available as
tcp-ip-intro.ps. Instructions for using anonymous FTP
can be found in the section on RFCs, below.
This tutorial was written by Charles Hedrick in July 1987.
It serves as a short introduction to some of the basic con-
cepts of the TCP/IP protocol suite. For another approach to
the subject see RFC 1180, "A TCP/IP Tutorial" in the follow-
ing section on RFCs.
From the Introduction:
"This document is a brief introduction to TCP/IP, followed
by advice on what to read for more information. This is not
intended to be a complete description. It can give you a
reasonable idea of the capabilities of the protocols. But
if you need to know any details of the technology, you will
want to read the standards yourself.
Page 4
Section 1: TCP/IP
1.2. Guides To The TCP/IP Internet
o Tour of the Internet
HyperCard Stack
The NSF Network Service Center (NNSC)
This unique guide is based on HyperCard, a program that runs
on Apple Macintosh computers. The guide includes a large
amount of information on both the structure and the content
of the Internet. The set of cards in this HyperCard stack
contain information on subjects ranging from the networks
that make up the Internet, to how to find a variety of
specific services available via the Internet. The HyperCard
stack includes a section reserved for local information on
your network. This allows you to customize the stack for
use at your site.
From the README file:
"The NSF Network Service Center (NNSC), a project of the
Laboratories business unit of the Systems and Technologies
Division, has developed a Tour of the Internet in HyperCard
(TM) format for novice network users. The stack has basic
information including history, sample email, ftp, and telnet
sessions, and a glossary. The Tour is intended to be a fun
and easy way to learn about the Internet."
"We have included a 'Local Info' section as part of the
Tour. This section is a place where an organization can add
information relevant to its own group of users, for example
a listing of resources at that site, or other, specialized
information."
"In order to run this stack, you need to have HyperCard 2.
HyperCard 2 requires Macintosh system 6.0.5 or higher."
Access Information for Internet Tour
The Internet Tour HyperCard stack is available via anonymous
FTP from host nnsc.nsf.net in the internet-tour directory.
The file Internet-Tour-README contains instructions on how
to retrieve the HyperCard stack and convert it into a Hyper-
Card file on your Macintosh.
An alternative method of access is to use the CSNET INFO-
SERVER as described in the following excerpt from the README
file:
(1) Send a message to 'INFO-SERVER@sh.cs.net'. You do not
need a subject field. The text of your message must be in a
special format (this is very important), but it does not
matter whether the letters are uppercase or lowercase.
REQUEST: nsfnet
Page 5
Section 1: TCP/IP
topic: INTERNET-TOUR
TOPIC: HELP
request: end
``Request: nsfnet'' tells the Info-Server to look for the
topics in the NSFNET section of the Info-Server.
``Topic:internet-tour'' orders BOTH of the files about the
tour, ``Internet-Tour-readme'' and ``Internet-
Tour.sit.hqx''. ``Topic: help'' orders a file with informa-
tion about other NSFNET files in the CSNET Info-Server.
(2) If you want to order ONLY the file ``Internet-
Tour.sit.hqx'', put the following request in the text of
your message:
request: NSFNET
topic: internet-tour.sit.hqx
REQUEST: end
o The Matrix, Computer Networks and Conferencing Systems
Worldwide
John S. Quarterman.
Digital Press, 1990. 719 pps. with index.
ISBN 1-58-033-5.
$49.95
Digital Press part number for ordering is EY-C176E-DP.
Digital Press phone is 800-343-8321.
In The Matrix, John Quarterman has created a guidebook to
the internet in which he describes a wide variety of net-
works in more detail than ever before. There's a large
amount of information included in The Matrix, all clearly
organized and heavily indexed.
The chapter on the worldwide TCP/IP Internet describes the
many regional networks that make up the Internet system.
Also covered are the various mail addressing formats in use
on these networks. In addition, Quarterman includes maps
showing the network topology. The Matrix is an indispens-
able tool for the network manager, and especially valuable
for those who must deal with wide area connections.
From the Preface
"The first half of the book contains background material
that introduces some important topics for readers who are
not familiar with them. References are provided for those
who want more complete treatments. Chapters 1 and 2 intro-
duce basic terminology and services so that Chapter 3 can
discuss networked communities and the effects of this tech-
nology and its applications on them and on the larger world.
The basic underlying networking protocols are outlined in
Chapter 4. Management protocols and issues such as naming,
addressing, routing, and interconnection of networks are
Page 6
Section 1: TCP/IP
treated in Chapter 5. Chapter 6 considers building actual
networks from the technology, including network names,
numerical size and speeds, geographical extent, administra-
tion, and funding. Chapter 7 sketches the 20 year history
of the Matrix, the intrinsic limitations that affect it, its
user communities, and constructed and de facto standards for
protocols; some speculations on the future are also
included. Interoperability requires standards and commit-
tees to produce them; these are discussed in Chapter 8."
"Descriptions of specific systems occupy the second half of
the book. They are organized geographically to facilitate
discussions of regional history and approaches, and each is
characterized according to the background material developed
in the first half of the book. Maps are included when
available. Syntaxes and gateways are provided for sending
mail from one system to others. Access information is given
for those wishing to join or research a system, and the
extensive references found at the end of each chapter will
be useful for further investigation."
o The User's Directory of Computer Networks
Edited by Tracy L. LaQuey.
Digital Press, 1990. 630 pps.
ISBN 1-58-047-5
$34.95.
Digital Press part number for ordering is EY-C200E-DP.
Digital Press phone is 800-343-8321.
The User's Directory concentrates on academic and research
networks, with much of the directory consisting of lists of
hosts, network numbers, domain names, and organizations.
The lists vary in the level of detail they present, going so
far as to include individual hosts on some of the networks.
The directory also contains a short description of each of
the regional networks listed. The descriptions include maps
that show the geographic coverage of most of the networks.
The spot formerly occupied by a description of the now-
defunct ARPANET contains the poem "Requiem for the ARPANET"
by Vint Cerf.
Included in the directory are several introductions to the
subjects of the USENET, the UUCP transport protocol, the
Internet Domain Name System, X.500 directory services and
electronic mail. The guide to electronic mail includes a
handy set of electronic mail addressing tables. These
tables help present the complexity of mail addressing con-
ventions in a clear and easily used format.
From the Preface:
Page 7
Section 1: TCP/IP
"The User's Directory of Computer Networks was compiled to
help people keep up with the increasing number of academic
and research networks and the hosts connecting to them."
"In the four years since the original directory emerged, the
number of networks, hosts, and users has grown rapidly. The
evolution of the directory has paralleled this network
growth, as this edition is about two and a half times the
size of the first one. Because of this growth, it is impos-
sible to keep up with every network, host, and user, and so
it was necessary to limit the amount of information included
here. Selection criteria were the size and scope of the
network and the responsiveness of its contacts in contribut-
ing information. This 1990 User's Directory provides com-
plete host information for networks such as BITNET, CSNET,
and SPAN, which maintain information for every connected
computer, but it also provides more administration informa-
tion (domain and site contact information) for some net-
works, such as those connected to the Internet."
1.3. Electronic Mail and the Internet
o !%@:: A Directory of Electronic Mail Addressing and
Networks
2nd Edition
Donnalyn Frey and Rick Adams.
O'Reilly & Associates, Petaluma, CA, 1989. 420 pps.
with three-way index.
ISBN 0-937175-15-3.
$27.95
This directory describes how to use electronic mail. The
first section of the book contains a general description of
the format and peculiarities of electronic mail addressing.
The next section, the major portion of the book, contains
brief descriptions of many of the worldwide networks. Each
network description includes an explanation of the elec-
tronic mail addressing in use, contact information, and a
map of the network. As a quick desk reference for the har-
ried network manager who is trying to unravel tangled elec-
tronic mail messages, there's nothing better.
From the preface:
"This book is the second edition of a handbook of electronic
mail addressing and networks. If you routinely send elec-
tronic mail, this book will provide you with up-to-date,
concise information on the major electronic mail networks
around the world. If you are an administrator or network
manager, your users can use this book to find information on
networks themselves, without asking you."
Page 8
Section 1: TCP/IP
"This new edition provides readers with a directory and
usage guide to approximately 130 of the world's research and
educational networks, as well as commercial networks. The
network information has been updated for 1990, with many new
networks added. Also updated is the three-way index to net-
work name, network type, and country, as well as lists of
many of the world's second and third level domains."
"Assume you need to know how to contact someone in Iceland
who you met at a conference. You can use this book by turn-
ing to the three-way index and looking up Iceland to find
ISNET, the network in Iceland. Next you turn to the section
of the book on ISNET and read who participates in the net-
work and how to address mail. Then you can look up an indi-
vidual university or company in the alphabetical index of
second-level domain addresses to help you create a working
electronic mail address for your correspondent. You can
also send electronic mail to the contact person for ISNET,
listed under Contact, and ask how you might find an address
for your colleague in Iceland."
1.4. TCP/IP Network Administration and Management
o Introduction to Administration of an Internet-based
Local Network
Charles L. Hedrick.
1988, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. 46
pps. No index.
Available via anonymous FTP from host cs.rutgers.edu in
the runet subdirectory. The file is called tcp-ip-
admin.doc and a PostScript version is available as
tcp-ip-admin.ps Instructions for using anonymous FTP
can be found in the section on RFCs, below.
This is a tutorial written by Charles Hedrick in July 1988,
and intended for network managers faced with the task of
setting up a campus network system based on TCP/IP proto-
cols. The illustrations are limited to ASCII graphics, and
there is no index, but nonetheless the information in this
brief guide can be very helpful when it comes to unraveling
the issues involved in the complex tangle of network
addressing, network routing, network topologies, and network
hardware.
Of special interest is the discussion of network repeaters,
bridges, and routers, in which Hedrick describes the main
features of each, and contrasts their function and utility
in the creation of large network systems.
From the Introduction:
"This document is intended to help people who are planning
to set up a new network based on the Internet protocols, or
Page 9
Section 1: TCP/IP
to administer an existing one. It assumes a basic familiar-
ity with the TCP/IP protocols, particularly the structure of
Internet addresses."
"This document does not attempt to replace technical docu-
mentation for your specific TCP/IP implementation. Rather,
it attempts to give overall background that is not specific
to any particular implementation. It is directed specifi-
cally at networks of "medium" complexity. That is, it is
probably appropriate for a network involving several dozen
buildings. Those planning to manage larger networks will
need more preparation than you can get by reading this docu-
ment."
o The Simple Book
An Introduction to Management of TCP/IP-based Internets
Marshall T. Rose
1991, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey,
347pps with index and bibliography.
ISBN 0-13-812611-9
$49.00
As the TCP/IP Internet has grown, the problem of how to
manage the network system has grown as well. The approach
to network management that has evolved for TCP/IP is based
on the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), described
in this, The Simple Book. Marshall Rose is an expert in the
field and has been involved in the standards process that
led to the adoption of SNMP. The Simple Book explains how
the SNMP protocols work, and how they are organized.
Marshall Rose candidly discusses the politics of standards
development, and includes some pithy observations on this
subject between the "soapbox" icons in the book's margins.
From the Preface:
"This book is intended to serve both as a graduate-level
text and also as a professional reference. It is expected
that the reader has a modest background in networking."
"The first part of the book, Chapters 1 and 2, presents a
brief history of networking and the need for network manage-
ment. Following this, the Internet suite of protocols is
examined. Since this is a book about managing TCP/IP-based
internets, many of the management details can make sense
only in the presence of a discussion of the protocols and
systems being managed. The text tries to present a
"detailed introduction." That is, the level of information
must be deep enough so that management issues can be
explored later on, but not too detailed so as to dwell on
the nuances of each protocol."
Page 10
Section 1: TCP/IP
"The second part of the book, Chapters 3 through 5, details
the Internet-standard Network Management Framework. In par-
ticular, the Structure of Management Information (SMI) and
the Management Information Base (MIB) are thoroughly
explored, followed by the mechanism used to manage inter-
nets, the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)."
"The third part of the book, Chapter 6, briefly introduces
the policies used to manage internets. The actual policies
(as opposed to mechanical aspects) of network management are
currently poorly understood, so only a basic coverage can be
presented at this time."
"The fourth part of the book, Chapter 7, gives an overview
of an actual implementation, the 4BSD/ISODE SNMP package.
Both an agent and manager implementation will be examined,
along with a common Applications Programmer's Interface
(API)."
"Finally, as the book concludes, future trends are identi-
fied in Chapter 8. In the appendicies, the book contains a
chapter on Internet management "lore" (commonly asked ques-
tions and answers), various lists of object assignments and
definitions, and so on. In addition, ordering information
for ISODE is given."
1.5. The Request for Comments (RFCs)
A major advantage of the TCP/IP protocol suite is that the
formal protocol standards are made easily available. The
standards documents that describe the protocols are freely
available over the Internet, or they can be purchased in
hard copy form.
These standards are known as Request for Comments, or RFCs.
The origin of the name is described in RFC 1000. RFC 1000
describes the evolution of the RFCs, beginning with the ori-
ginal protocol developers who, being graduate students and
faced with the need for publishing the evolving technical
specifications, chose to call the documents Request for Com-
ments so as not to offend anyone who might be in charge of
the newly chartered ARPANET. Most of the RFCs are still
available, and the entire set of RFCs provides a rare look
at the evolution of a major protocol suite.
The Internet is still evolving, and RFCs are still being
written to guide, codify, and explain this evolution. Some
of the more recent RFCs have been purely informative in
nature, aimed at the newcomer to TCP/IP networking, or
intended to help programmers implement the standards
correctly.
Page 11
Section 1: TCP/IP
The RFCs are available electronically by way of the TCP/IP
File Transfer Program (FTP), as well as by electronic mail.
Both of these methods are described below. For those
without a network connection, the RFCs can be ordered by
telephone and through the US Postal Service, also as
described below.
1.5.1. Some Useful RFCs
The books by Douglas Comer and Marshall Rose contain guides
to the RFCs, listed by category. These guides can provide a
handy navigational aid through the sea of specifications.
As of this writing, there are 1,244 RFCs listed in the RFC
index, and it's impossible to describe even the most impor-
tant ones here. Instead, listed next are some recent exam-
ples of RFCs written as purely informative documents as well
as some RFCs describing essential numbers used in TCP/IP.
o RFC1244, Site Security Handbook
A comprehensive list of the issues to be considered when
developing computer and network security policy at your
site. Includes a brief description of each issue, as well
as a guide to security oriented mailing lists and software.
Also includes an annotated bibliography of other resources
for information on security issues.
o RFC1208, A Glossary of Networking Terms
A relatively short (18 pps) glossary produced to help a
newcomer to networking find their way around the special
jargon and acronyms used in the networking industry.
o RFC1207, Answers to Commonly Asked `Experienced Inter-
net User' Questions
This is one of two RFCs called " Questions and Answers," and
produced by the User Services Working Group of the Internet
Engineering Task Force. This 15 page set of Questions and
Answers focuses on the sort of questions that might be asked
by someone with experience using the Internet.
o RFC1206, Answers to Commonly Asked `New Internet User'
Questions
The companion RFC to RFC1207. This 32 page set of Questions
and Answers focuses on the sort of questions that might be
asked by someone new to the Internet.
o RFC1200, Official Protocol Standards
This RFC is the most recent version of the Official Protocol
Standards. This frequently updated RFC describes the TCP/IP
Page 12
Section 1: TCP/IP
standards creation process, as well as listing the RFCs that
are the officially recognized TCP/IP standards.
o RFC1180, A TCP/IP Tutorial
A brief (28 pages) description of the basic structure of the
TCP/IP protocol suite and how it works. Includes a descrip-
tion of sending TCP/IP datagrams over Ethernet networks, and
how the ARP protocol is used to build links between IP and
Ethernet addresses.
o RFC1178, Choosing a Name for Your Computer
This 8 page RFC provides some guidelines that can help ease
the task of choosing a reasonable network name for your com-
puter.
o RFC1175, Where to Start: A Bibliography of Internet-
working Information.
This 42 page RFC contains an extensive bibliography on
TCP/IP and the Internet, including several of the resources
listed here. Also included is a list of conferences and
workshops of interest to those in the field, as well as a
set of newsletters on the subjects of TCP/IP and the
regional network systems.
o RFC1173, Responsibilities of Host and Network Managers:
A Summary of the Oral
This short (5 page) RFC attempts to fill in some gaps by
providing operational guidelines for network managers and
host system managers. As noted in the title, the guidelines
presented here are of the sort that "everybody knows" but
that are rarely documented.
o RFC1147, FYI on a Network Management Tool Catalog:
Tools for Monitoring and Debugging TCP/IP Internets and
Interconnected Devices
This RFC is a large collection of tools for network manage-
ment, including sources for public domain software for net-
work testing and troubleshooting. The RFC includes a net-
work management tutorial that describes some of the basic
concepts of networking monitoring and management. A handy
guide to a rapidly growing area.
o RFC1122, Requirements for Internet Hosts - Communica-
tion Layers
RFC1123, Requirements for Internet Hosts - Application
and Support
Page 13
Section 1: TCP/IP
These two "Host Requirements" RFCs provide the latest guide-
lines and interpretations for the TCP/IP protocols.
Together they represent the latest understanding of how the
protocol suite functions, as well as providing corrections
and expanded information for many of the prior RFCs. These
two documents are essential companions to the RFCs that are
listed as standards for the TCP/IP protocol suite.
o RFC1118, Hitchikers Guide to the Internet
This 24 page RFC is an informal guide to the basic concepts
and the jargon of the TCP/IP Internet, intended for newco-
mers to TCP/IP.
o RFC1060, Assigned Numbers
This is the most recent version of the Assigned Numbers RFC
as of this writing. The Assigned Numbers RFC contains a
description of the IP addressing fields as well as lists of
all the essential numbers used in various parts of the pro-
tocol suite. This RFC also contains a list of Ethernet
numbers of interest to anyone managing Ethernets. When
looking for a copy of the Assigned Numbers RFC make sure to
get the most recent version, as this RFC is periodically
updated.
o RFC 1000, The Request For Comments Reference Guide
This 149 page RFC contains an annotated guide to the first
1000 RFCs, along with a brief history of the origins of the
RFCs.
1.5.2. Access To The RFCs
The RFCs listed above, and many more, are available both in
hard copy and electronically. The central depository for
the RFCs is located at SRI Inc., in Menlo Park, California.
The address of the network information center at SRI is:
SRI International
Network Information Systems Center - EJ291
333 Ravenswood Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 9402
415-859-6387
Electronic mail address NIC@NIC.DDN.MIL
1.5.3. TCP/IP CD ROM
The SRI Network Information Center makes available a CD ROM
in ISO-9660 (High Sierra) format that contains the RFCs,
Internet Engineering Notes, a document collection, mailing
list archives, and networking source code. To purchase the
CD ROM or for more information call the numbers listed
Page 14
Section 1: TCP/IP
above, or send mail to:
TCP-IP-CD@NISC.SRI.COM
1.5.4. The NISC Electronic Mail Server
The RFCs are available via electronic mail from a mail
server maintained by the Network Information Systems Center.
If your computer does not have a direct connection to the
Internet, but does have electronic mail access, then you can
send mail to the special address:
MAIL-SERVER@NISC.SRI.COM
and, in the body of your message, indicate the RFC number
you want to request, e.g.,
send rfc nnnn
where "nnnn" refers to the number of the RFC. Multiple
requests may be included in the same message. There should
not be any other information in your message, e.g. do not
include a signature line.
1.5.5. Anonymous FTP Access To The RFCS
The RFCs are also available via "anonymous" FTP. If your
computer runs the file transfer program known as FTP, and
you have access to the Internet, you may make an FTP connec-
tion to host FTP.NISC.SRI.COM, and retrieve files from the
"rfc" directory. In the following example the commands you
enter are shown in bold face type.
% ftp ftp.nisc.sri.com
Connected to phoebus.NISC.SRI.COM.
220 phoebus FTP server (SRI Version 1.98 Fri Apr 19
11:57:54 PDT 1991) ready.
Name (ftp.nisc.sri.com:spurgeon): anonymous
331 Guest login ok, send ident as password.
Password: your-email-address-here
230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.
ftp> cd rfc
250 CWD command successful.
ftp>
Once logged and connected to the correct directory, you can
retrieve the RFC you want. A good file to start with is
with the Index of RFCs, rfc-index.txt
Page 15
Section 2: Unix
Section 2
2. UNIX
It may seem odd to include an operating system in a list of
network resources. However the Berkeley UNIX system has
been the platform for many networking innovations over the
last decade. This section of the reading list is designed
to help you find information on how UNIX networking func-
tions, and how UNIX fits into the networking equation.
The development of UNIX has been closely tied to both TCP/IP
and Ethernet. In the early 1980's ARPA chose to fund the
development of a Berkeley UNIX implementation of the TCP/IP
protocols. This led to the inclusion of the TCP/IP proto-
cols in Berkeley UNIX release 4.2.
At the time, Berkeley had begun using the newly standardized
Ethernet LAN technology to link their campus computers
together, and the model of UNIX systems running TCP/IP and
linked with Ethernet was exported to many other sites with
the release of 4.2BSD UNIX. The availability of BSD UNIX
4.2, TCP/IP, and Ethernet also helped spur growth of the
scientific workstation market. The combination of UNIX
workstations with TCP/IP software and Ethernet hardware has
become increasingly common.
2.1. UNIX In General
UNIX and how it networks can be a daunting subject to the
newcomer. To help try to cut things down to size, these next
two items provide some much needed background and context on
UNIX in general, and UNIX network administration in particu-
lar.
o Life With UNIX
Don Libes, Sandy Ressler
1989, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ., 346 pps.
with index.
ISBN 0-13-536657-7.
$29.95.
UNIX documentation can be exceedingly cryptic and difficult
to decipher. While the efforts of the many UNIX vendors
have frequently improved the UNIX documentation of their
systems (it would be hard to make it worse), it's still the
case that a newcomer can find themselves drowning in details
and wishing for some UNIX expert to come by and supply the
big picture.
Life With UNIX is that expert. In this book you can dis-
cover almost everything you always wanted to know about the
Page 16
Section 2: Unix
UNIX operating system, but couldn't find out from anyplace
else. This book includes much undocumented folklore about
how UNIX grew, and why things are the way they are.
Life With UNIX also includes a set of handy reviews of UNIX
oriented books and periodicals, UNIX organizations and
conferences, and a list of addresses covering every vendor,
school or group mentioned in the book. As a result, this
book is an essential companion to the standard UNIX docu-
ments.
From the Preface:
"No matter what people have told you, you can't learn UNIX
from the manuals, or even the sources. UNIX is so much more
than that. To understand UNIX is to understand its users
and its applications, as well as its failures and flaws.
This is just some of what this book hopes to cover."
"Make sure you realize what this book isn't. It isn't a
textbook on C or UNIX programming. (There are already
plenty of good ones.) You won't learn how to write shell
scripts or what is in the kernel. Well, maybe a little.
But you will learn plenty of useful things. Things that
will fill in gaps between other useful and useless things
you already know about UNIX."
o UNIX System Administration Handbook
Evi Nemeth, Garth Snyder, and Scott Seebass.
1989, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 593 pps.
with index and bibliography.
ISBN 0-13-933441-6.
$32.00
The UNIX System Administration Handbook is an exceptionally
comprehensive guide to the nitty gritty details of UNIX sys-
tem administration. It's also well written, with solid
"hands-on" information. Of special interest is the large
section on UNIX network administration.
This section explains how to go about acquiring a registered
IP network address for your host, what a domain name is and
how to go about registering one, and how to set up printing
to remote hosts over the network. The section covers Berke-
ley UNIX networking based on Ethernet hardware and TCP/IP
network protocols.
Included in this section is a brief description of how Eth-
ernet works, featuring a list of typical Ethernet com-
ponents. There's a short description of TCP/IP protocols
and how to set up the various UNIX files that make TCP/IP
software run. There's also a description of some LAN design
issues, followed by the Sun Network File System protocols
Page 17
Section 2: Unix
and operation. The section concludes with a few pages on
how to debug and monitor your network. This is all essen-
tial information for the UNIX administrator faced with the
task of attaching a computer to the network.
From the preface:
"Without guidance, it's easy for a new administrator to lose
sight of ultimate goals in a sea of documentation or to
inadvertently skip over one or more critical areas through
failure to realize that they are important. That is where
this book fits in. While we can't claim that everything you
need to know is included, we can guarantee that after read-
ing it you will know pretty much what UNIX administration
involves and how to go about it."
"The first six chapters of this book are presented in a
sequence you should find useful if you are bringing up a
system straight from the packing crate. In this section are
contained the bare essentials, things you need to know just
to get the system up and running. Chapters 7-14 introduce
the various kinds of hardware that are typically used with
UNIX and discuss how to install, configure, and operate this
equipment. Chapters 15-19 discuss five important UNIX
software subsystems: electronic mail, telephone communica-
tion, network news, backups, and accounting. The rest of
the chapters represent a grab-bag of UNIX topics, some of
which may not concern you."
2.2. UNIX Networking In Detail
The next several items cover UNIX networking in vast techni-
cal detail. These items are for those who want to under-
stand UNIX networking right down to the details of the ker-
nel implementation. Fortunately there are several recent
books on the details of UNIX networking implementations.
This material assumes that you have a programming back-
ground, or at least a reading knowledge of C programming.
As it says on old maps of uncharted and dangerous terri-
tories, "Here there be dragons."
o UNIX Networking
Stephen G. Kochan and Patrick H. Wood, Consulting Edi-
tors.
1989, Hayden Books, Indianapolis, Indiana. 400 pps.
with index.
ISBN 0-672-48440-4.
Price $29.95.
UNIX Networking surveys internetworking as it is found in
real-world UNIX systems. There are ten chapters, each writ-
ten by a separate author, and each covering individual UNIX
networking topics such as UUCP, TCP/IP, NFS and RPC,
Page 18
Section 2: Unix
Streams, and so on. The book is organized historically,
with the earliest UNIX networking packages listed first,
which means that the story begins with UUCP, or the UNIX to
UNIX Copy Program.
The chapter on TCP/IP is written by Douglas Comer and Thomas
Narten. This chapter describes the basics of the TCP/IP
protocol suite and the BSD 4.3 library routines and system
calls used in application programs based on TCP/IP. The
rest of the book introduces several UNIX applications which
are based on networking. Several chapters discuss the AT&T
approaches to network software on UNIX systems, as exempli-
fied by Streams and the Transport Layer Interface system.
From the Introduction:
"This book provides both a historical and technical look at
UNIX networks. The book is organized with the earliest UNIX
networks appearing first, and each chapter has an overview
of the history of the development of that networking sys-
tem."
"Since there are many UNIX networks, and space in this book
is limited, only the most popular and widely available net-
works are described. Also, networking hardware (Ethernet,
the telephone system, etc) is only covered where needed to
describe the networking software, which is the focus of the
book."
o The Design and Implementation of the 4.3BSD UNIX
Operating System
Samuel J. Leffler, Marshall Kirk McKusick, Michael J.
Karels, John S. Quarterman.
1989, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Reading, Mass. 471
pps. with index and glossary.
ISBN 0-201-06196-1
$40.00
This book provides an in-depth look at the design and imple-
mentation of the entire 4.3BSD (Berkeley Software Distribu-
tion) UNIX system. Of special interest is Part 4 which
describes UNIX Interprocess Communication. This section
includes Chapter 10, which describes the kernel data struc-
tures and socket mechanisms used for networking, and
Chapters 11 and 12, which cover Network Communication and
Network Protocols, respectively. These chapters provide an
in-depth look into the details of the BSD networking imple-
mentation, written by the engineers who had a hand in making
the decisions.
From the Preface:
Page 19
Section 2: Unix
"This book is about the internal structure of 4.3BSD and
about the concepts, data structures, and algorithms used in
implementing 4.3BSDXs system facilities. Its level of
detail is similar to that of Bach's book about System V UNIX
however, this text focuses on the facilities, data struc-
tures, and algorithms used in the Berkeley variant of the
UNIX operating system. The book covers 4.3BSD from the
system-call level down -- from the interface to the kernel
to the hardware itself. The kernel includes system facili-
ties, such as process management, memory management, the I/O
system, the file system, the socket IPC mechanism, and
network-protocol implementations. Material above the
system-call level such as libraries, shells, commands, pro-
gramming languages, and other user interfaces is excluded,
except for some material related to terminal interface and
to system startup. Like Organick's book about Multics, it
is an in-depth study of a contemporary operating system."
o UNIX Network Programming
W. Richard Stevens
1990, Prentice Hall, Inc., 772 pps. with index and
annotated bibliography.
ISBN 0-13-949876-1.
$41.00.
Richard Stevens's book features both a comprehensive treat-
ment of UNIX networking concepts and a vast assortment of
real world examples. The book contains scores of program
examples, and is indispensable reading for the network
software developer, or for anyone who wants to see what real
networking software looks like in a UNIX system.. The book
is an extremely useful resource for anyone who needs an in-
depth understanding of the internals of UNIX networking
software.
The book contains about 15,000 lines of C source code
(including comments), some of which is taken directly from
the Berkeley UNIX networking software and modified by the
author, and some of which was created by the author for the
task at hand. Another major advantage of this text is that
all 15,000 lines of source code are available on-line as
described below.
From the Preface:
"This book provides both the required basics that are needed
to develop networking software along with numerous case stu-
dies of existing network applications. The intent of this
book, however, is to concentrate on the development of
software to use a computer network."
"This text is divided into four parts. 1. The framework of
a UNIX process (Chapter 2), and IPC between processes on a
Page 20
Section 2: Unix
single system (Chapter 3). 2. An overview of networking
(Chapter 4), and a description of some networking protocols
currently in use (Chapter 5): TCP/IP, Xerox NX (XNS), IBM's
SNA, NetBIOS, the OSI protocols, and UUCP. These two
chapters provide the networking background for the remainder
of the text. 3. Transport layer interfaces: Berkeley sock-
ets and System V TLI (Chapters 6 and 7). These are the
interfaces that an application uses to communicate across a
network. 4. Networking examples (Chapters 8 through 18).
The specific examples covered are: security, time and date
servers, file transfer, line printer spoolers, remote com-
mand execution, remote login, remote tape drive access, and
remote procedure calls."
2.2.1. Access to Source Code In UNIX Network Programming
The complete source code for the Richard Stevens book is
available from the vast collection of UNIX source archives
kept by UUNET Technologies in Falls Church, Virginia. UUNET
can be reached via the Compuserve network, via dial up
modem, and via the Internet at host uunet.uu.net.
For those readers with a connection to the Internet, the
source code from the Richard Stevens book may be retrieved
using the anonymous FTP service. By opening a connection to
host uunet.uu.net and logging in as username "anonymous,"
you can gain access to the source archives stored at UUNET.
When logging in via FTP with the "anonymous" username, it is
customary to type your real login name and host address when
prompted for a password. This lets the system administrator
of the anonymous FTP host keep track of the requests being
made for the files on their system.
Once logged into UUNET, the source code is located in the
pub directory as filename netprog.tar.Z. The capital Z suf-
fix means that the file has been compressed using the UNIX
compress program, which turns the file from a text format to
a binary format. This, in turn, means that you will have to
type "bin" to the FTP program, to set the file retrieval to
binary mode. The compressed version of the file occupies
almost 192 Kilobytes.
Once retrieved, the file will need to be uncompressed, which
will leave you with a tape archive or "tar" file. Unpacking
this file with the UNIX tar program will reveal the 15,000
lines of source code.
UUNET also makes UNIX sources available through a 900 tele-
phone number for modems with speeds of up to 9,600 bps. The
number is 1-900-GOT-SRCS, and the login name is "uucp" with
no password. For more information, UUNET's address is
listed in Section 4.
Page 21
Section 3: Ethernet
Section 3
3. Ethernet
Ethernet is a popular LAN technology in wide use at sites
around the world. A major reason for its popularity is that
Ethernet provides a high level of network interoperability:
You can link systems built by many different vendors using
the same Ethernet LAN. Like TCP/IP and Unix, Ethernet pro-
vides a common basis for supporting heterogeneous networks.
Ethernet has been in existence for over a decade, and is now
an international LAN standard. As a result, a large number
of vendors sell Ethernet equipment. This helps keep the
prices down, and leads to a steady stream of innovations,
such as the use of thin coaxial and twisted-pair cabling,
that makes it easier to build reliable LANs using standard
Ethernet.
The Ethernet system has been so successful that it has grown
to include a wide variety of physical media. This evolution
has resulted in a number of new versions of the Ethernet
standard as well. To accommodate a few introductions to
Ethernet technology, as well as to cover the wide range of
topics found in building and managing a LAN, this section of
the reading list has grown until it is considerably larger
than the rest.
3.1. Introduction To LAN Concepts
o Local Area Networks
An introduction to the technology
John E. McNamara.
Published by Digital Press, 1985, 165 pps. with index
and glossary.
$29.00
ISBN 0-932376-79-7.
Digital Press part number for ordering is EY-00051-DP.
Digital Press phone is (800) 343-8321.
This book provides a clear introduction to the essential
ideas and basic technologies of LANs. McNamara keeps it
simple, while managing to cover many different technologies.
The author avoids covering specific products in favor of
describing the general territory of LANs and their topolo-
gies. The special problems of extending LANs and supporting
multiple protocol campus area networks are discussed.
From the Preface:
"This book is intended for students, computer system
managers, telecommunications managers, and others who want
Page 22
Section 3: Ethernet
to become more familiar with local area networks. Since
product offerings in this area are constantly changing, a
deliberate attempt has been made to emphasize the general
principles, operating characteristics, and problem areas of
local area network hardware, rather than cite specific pro-
duct examples."
"The book begins with a general introduction, discussing the
development of local area networks and emphasizing their
possible uses. This is followed by more detailed treatment
of physical factors: topology, media, and installation
requirements. Next, the hardware that permits programs to
access the local area network and transfer data is dis-
cussed. Then, software is covered, starting with an intro-
duction to communications protocols. Finally, the combined
base of hardware and software knowledge from the previous
parts of the book are used in discussions of network ser-
vices, network expansion, and the problems associated with
creating large networks. The need for standards is implied
throughout the book, and a brief final chapter discusses the
creation of standards and their current status."
3.2. Introduction to Three Ethernet Varieties
This short introduction to the three Ethernet technologies
most widely used in office connections is provided to help
you understand the references to these technologies in the
resources that follow. After the IEEE published the basic
thick coaxial Ethernet specifications in 1985 it went on to
specify new varieties of Ethernet media, including thin
coaxial Ethernet and twisted-pair Ethernet. There are
currently three media systems designed to provide Ethernet
service to an office. They include:
(1) Thick Ethernet
The original Ethernet system, consisting of a thick
(0.4 inch) yellow coaxial cable. Computers are
attached to this cable via an Ethernet transceiver
(also called a MAU) clamped to the cable. The tran-
sceiver, in turn, is connected to an Ethernet interface
in the host computer by way of a transceiver cable
(also called an AUI cable). This system is the one
developed at Xerox, and could be called "Ethernet Clas-
sic." The IEEE has assigned shorthand identifiers for
each variety of Ethernet. The identifier for thick
Ethernet is 10BASE5, which stands for 10 Mbit/sec
speed, baseband signaling, and 500 meter maximum seg-
ment length.
(2) Thin Ethernet
One variation of classic Ethernet uses a thinner, more
flexible coaxial cable, and is known as thin Ethernet
or "Cheapernet." In the thin Ethernet system the
Page 23
Section 3: Ethernet
transceiver connection is inside the host along with
the Ethernet interface. This makes it possible to
attach the thin Ethernet cable directly to the back of
the host computer. That reduces the number of devices
and cables needed, and makes the network connection
more affordable and convenient for office areas. The
IEEE identifier for thin Ethernet is 10BASE2, despite
the fact that the maximum segment length in the thin
Ethernet standard is actually 185 meters.
(3) Twisted-Pair Ethernet
The most recent variation is twisted-pair Ethernet.
This new variety of Ethernet is based on the same low
cost twisted-pair wiring used for telephone systems.
In the new system, individual computers attach to a
multiple-connection box called a multiport or hub.
Ethernet hubs are frequently designed as modular sys-
tems; many hubs can support all three varieties of Eth-
ernet attachment. With its reliance on proven tele-
phone system technology, the new twisted-pair variety
provides a reliable yet simple and low-cost method for
attaching computers to a 10-Mbit/sec Ethernet system.
The IEEE identifier for twisted-pair Ethernet is
10BASE-T.
3.3. Vendor Guides
Some of the best tutorial information on Ethernet may be
found in a variety of publications available from vendors.
You have to allow for the vendor-specific orientation, but
despite the emphasis on a single vendor's products you can
find good tutorial information in these guides. Listed next
in no particular order are several guides that have proven
useful.
Hewlett-Packard Manuals
o LAN Cable and Accessories Installation Manual
Published by Hewlett-Packard Co, January 1986.
Approx. 204 pps. with index.
$47.00.
HP Part No. 5955-7680.
Order from HP Direct at (800) 538-8787.
This slightly out-of-date manual from HP is still one of the
better sources of tutorial information on how to deal with
the thick and thin Ethernet varieties. The manual does not
mention the twisted-pair Ethernet system.
Despite the specific product orientation, the Ethernet con-
figuration information is useful, and the guidelines for
designing networks are clear and well written. Thin Ether-
net is covered, using HP's ThinLAN name for the technology.
Page 24
Section 3: Ethernet
In addition, the manual shows how to tap a thick Ethernet
cable for installation of the typical transceiver connec-
tion.
One nit to pick is that the advice on running cable between
buildings is based on older coax technology and does not
take into account the newer IEEE Fiber Optic Inter-Repeater
Link (FOIRL) standard. The FOIRL standard makes it possible
to link Ethernets between buildings while preserving com-
plete electrical isolation between the LANs. Such isolation
is important when it comes to preserving the safety of the
LAN system and preventing damage to the system components.
This manual really shines when it comes to descriptions of
thick cable and thin cable tooling and details of cable con-
struction. The wire strippers and connector crimpers
required for each cable type are described, although only HP
part numbers are cited for these tools. There are also
diagrams showing how to prepare each kind of cable for con-
nectors, and how to crimp on the N connectors and BNC con-
nectors used with the thick and thin coaxial cables. The
manual finishes with a short section on verifying the cables
you've built, and a section on how to use a time domain
reflectometer to test network cables.
Another useful feature of the manual are the safety warnings
that explain the hazards of the crimping tools, and the
various electrical dangers that may be present when working
on network cable systems. While on the subject of safety
warnings, it should be mentioned that the crimping tools
shown in this manual use a mechanism that prevents them from
opening until they have closed all the way. It can be pain-
ful if a finger, rather than a connector, gets into the
works. The HP manual thoughtfully includes an appendix on
how to get your finger out of a crimp tool, should the need
arise.
o HP SiteWire Twisted-pair Cabling Installation Guide
January 1988, Hewlett-Packard Company, Roseville Net-
works Division, 8000 Foothills Boulevard, Roseville,
California 95678.
Approximately 100 pps, with 11 sections, 2 Appendixes,
and an Index.
$40.00.
HP Manual Part Number 5959-2208. Order From HP Direct
at (800) 538-8787.
Like the HP guide on coaxial cabling, this document is
oriented to HP product offerings. Covering twisted-pair
wiring for data communications, and including the Ethernet
10BASE-T variety, this guide provides instructions on how to
test and install twisted-pair wiring for networks. While
limited to HP offerings, it still provides a useful
Page 25
Section 3: Ethernet
introduction and primer for for twisted-pair Ethernet ins-
tallations.
The guide begins with a general introduction to twisted-pair
connections. The system shown is not based on the widely
used AT&T Premises Distribution System (PDS), instead the HP
approach to wiring both telephones and data service for an
office space is described. PDS equipment may be used with
the HP approach however, and the guide notes that for large
installations you may want to base your design entirely on
the PDS system.
The guide explains the basics of how to build twisted-pair
cables, test them for continuity, and install them in an
office. The use of 66-type and 100-type punch-down tools
and punch-down blocks is explained, along with the basics of
making a host connection to a twisted-pair Ethernet.
The rest of the document describes how to install 10BASE-T
hubs. The guide also shows the HP 10BASE-T interface boards
for PCs that contain two modular jacks; one for connection
to the building wiring system, and one for connection to a
telephone. This allows you to support both telephone and
data on the same twisted-pair cable, and you are shown how
to install wiring for such a system.
DEC Manuals
o Telecommunications and Networks Buyer's Guide
Published twice a year by Digital Press. 1991 January-
June issue.
Approx. 590 pps. with index.
Free.
No part number. Ask for it by title from a DEC sales
office. Call (800) 332-4636 if you don't have a local
DEC sales contact. Or call (800) 343-4040 and ask for
assistance on acquiring a free document.
This large guide attempts to list all communication hardware
and software products and network services that DEC pro-
vides. Of special interest are the configuration guidelines
for 802.3/Ethernet products. The guidelines are in section
2 and occupy 159 pages. Here you will find all manner of
information about 802.3/Ethernet in general and the DEC pro-
duct line in particular. Included is a description of DEC's
building wiring standard, Open DECconnect.
You will also find media and topology information for fiber
optic Ethernet connections, unshielded twisted pair, thin
Ethernet and thick Ethernet. The guide includes illustra-
tions and descriptions of many Ethernet components including
barrels and terminators for thick Ethernet, DECconnect wir-
ing equipment, and repeaters and bridges.
Page 26
Section 3: Ethernet
Appendix A describes Ethernet configuration guidelines for
all Ethernet varieties as well as descriptions of extended
LAN topologies using LAN bridges and broadband Ethernet.
The guide is completely DEC-centric, of course, but the
price is right and the information is quite useful. The
guide lists many other products, including DEC's offerings
for the 100 Mbit/sec LAN standard known as FDDI.
o The OPEN DECconnect System Guide
o OPEN DECconnect Building Wiring Components and Applica-
tions Catalog
1990, Digital Equipment Corporation.
Free.
No part number. Ask for them by title from DEC sales
office. Call (800) 332-4636 if you don't have a local
DEC sales contact. Or call (800) 343-4040 and ask for
assistance on acquiring a free document.
These two publications describe the Digital structured
building wiring system known as OPEN DECconnect. The system
guide explains basic LAN topologies and describes the
hierarchical physical star network that is specified in the
EIA/TIA 568 Commercial Building Wiring Standard. The system
guide discusses the various cabling choices for Ethernet
wiring, and lists the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Following this section, the system guide describes the
design and components of the DECconnect wiring system.
Included is a description of Ethernet wiring as well as FDDI
wiring, and how to attach stations to the building wiring
system. The system guide provides a useful introduction to
the concepts behind structured building wiring systems, as
well as providing a look at DECs structured wiring products.
The components and applications catalog lists individual
parts of the DECconnect system including a description and
order number. Line drawings for each part are shown. The
second half of the catalog shows some typical wiring appli-
cations and how they are configured to use the DECconnect
system.
Taken together these two manuals provide a look at struc-
tured wiring concepts in general, as well as providing a
detailed tour of one approach to structured wiring called
DECconnect.
MOD-TAP
o MOD-TAP Applications Manual 1991
Page 27
Section 3: Ethernet
o MOD-TAP Components Catalog
MOD-TAP, 285 Ayer Road, PO BOX 706, Harvard, MA 01451-
0706, 1-508-772-5630.
Applications Manual $5.00, Components Catalog Free.
MOD-TAP supplies communications cabling products for com-
puter users. Their applications manual covers a wide range
of communications cabling applications for several different
standards. Of interest here is their support for 10BASE-T
Ethernet. The applications manual describes some basic con-
cepts for building cabling design. The manual also goes
into detail on the wide variety of twisted pair wiring
schemes in use today.
A major benefit of this manual is the information on the
various twisted pair wiring schemes currently in use and how
they can be made to support standard 10BASE-T unshielded
twisted pair Ethernet. The manual also describes some basic
wiring installation techniques, including how to develop a
cable numbering scheme to help keep it all straight.
The components catalog describes the entire line of MOD-TAP
products. Included are a set of charts that show the
twisted pair wiring standards for USOC, AT&T 258A, AT&T
356A, ROLM, DEC, EIA, and 10BASE-T. The building you may be
trying to wire for 10BASE-T Ethernet may include twisted-
pair wires installed according to any one (or more) of these
standards. The information shown here can be invaluable for
figuring out how to get the signals from the 10BASE-T hub in
the wiring closet to show up on the user's desk.
3.4. Troubleshooting Guides
o Network Troubleshooting Guide
August 1990, Digital Equipment Corporation
Approx. 278 pps. with index and glossary.
$95.00 (quoted from DEC Direct).
Digital part number for ordering is EK-339AB-GD-002.
Digital Direct phone is (800) 344-4825.
While the price is steep, this is a useful guide to a
variety of techniques for testing and troubleshooting net-
works that support both DECnet and TCP/IP protocols. The
guide begins with a brief description of how both DECnet and
TCP/IP function, including details of addressing in both
protocol suites.
Chapter 2 describes how to develop a basic network troub-
leshooting methodology for your site. Following this is a
chapter on network management and troubleshooting tools,
listed alphabetically, and including both VMS and ULTRIX-
based tools. The emphasis is on Digital applications, but
more general applications such as "ping" and "traceroute"
Page 28
Section 3: Ethernet
are also shown.
Chapter 4 describes resources for troubleshooting. These
include various ULTRIX and VMS log files that contain infor-
mation on problems that may have occurred with software run-
ning the DECnet and TCP/IP protocols.
Chapter 5 is the largest chapter of the guide. It describes
network troubleshooting procedures for a wide variety of
common network problems in both DECnet and TCP/IP. The
problems are categorized as ULTRIX host problems, VMS host
problems, LAN problems, WAN problems, and cross-category
problems that include two or more of the preceding problems.
This chapter explains how to interpret common error messages
seen, and how to go about troubleshooting the source of the
error. Each problem is described and troubleshooting pro-
cedures explained. An example for TCP/IP includes the the
error message "connection timed out." A variety of errors
that could cause this message are explained, and a troub-
leshooting strategy is listed. You are shown how to use
"ping" to check for connectivity, "netstat" to check for
errors on the host interface, etc.
While the guide focuses on DEC equipment running VMS and
ULTRIX operating systems, there is still much useful infor-
mation provided for debugging complex network problems in a
mixed vendor environment. For example, many of the utili-
ties described for ULTRIX are commonly available on other
Unix systems. Although the guide assumes you have a DEC LAN
Traffic Monitor (LTM) available, this is not a severe limi-
tation. You can replicate much of the information you can
get from the LTM by running commonly available applications
such as "etherfind" or "tcpdump" on your system.
This guide has two major advantages; the structured approach
to troubleshooting and the unusual mix of both DECnet and
TCP/IP troubleshooting procedures in the same manual. While
the troubleshooting information appears to list more
DECnet-based errors than TCP/IP ones, the guide manages to
present quite a lot of technical information about both pro-
tocol suites and their possible failure modes in a clear and
well organized format.
o LAN Troubleshooting Handbook
Mark A. Miller
1989, M&T Publishing Co., Redwood City, CA., 309 pps.
with index.
$29.95.
ISBN 1-55851-054-0
A wide-ranging guide to troubleshooting information for
several LAN technologies including Ethernet. The author
Page 29
Section 3: Ethernet
manages to fit a surprising amount of technical information
about three LAN technologies, Ethernet, token ring, and
ARCNET, into one volume. Though there isn't any tutorial
information about Ethernet, the troubleshooting information
is clear and the book is well illustrated.
The material on Ethernet covers two sections: one on coaxial
cable based Ethernets (both thick and thin), and one on
twisted-pair Ethernet technology, including Synoptics Lat-
tisNet and AT&T StarLAN products. The IEEE 10BASE-T
unshielded twisted-pair system is also briefly described.
This book provides quick access to some essential troub-
leshooting information for the three main varieties of Eth-
ernet.
From the Preface:
"This book has a very fundamental thesis: how to keep your
local area network alive. There are three parts to that
goal. First, you must understand how the LAN should operate
if you are to properly define when it is not operating.
Secondly, you must have the proper hardware and software
tools readily available to troubleshoot problems. Third,
you must take preventative measures to keep those failures
from recurring in the future."
"To accomplish this goal, the book is divided into "network
generic" and "network specific" chapters. Chapters 1, 2, 3,
and 4 address the generic issues of LAN standards, Documen-
tation, Test Equipment, and Cabling. Chapters 5, 6, 7, and
8 address specific issues associated with popular LAN archi-
tectures: ARCNET, Token Ring, Ethernet, and StarLAN, respec-
tively. Also included in the network-specific chapters are
examples of protocol analysis of Novell's NetWare, IBM's
NetBIOS, DEC's DECnet, and TCP/IP. Chapter 9 concludes with
a dose of preventative medicine."
3.5. The Ethernet Standards
Ethernet became the first non-proprietary LAN technology
with the publication of the multi-vendor Ethernet specifica-
tion in 1980.
There are two basic Ethernet standards: one issued by the
multi-vendor consortium, and one developed by the Institute
of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The multi-
vendor standard is known as the DIX standard, so called due
to the initials of the three participants: Digital Equipment
Corp, Intel, and Xerox. The DIX standard includes versions
1.0 and 2.0.
In 1985 the IEEE 802.3 CSMA/CD version of the standard was
released. Based on the DIX Ethernet standard, the IEEE
Page 30
Section 3: Ethernet
version brought the thick Ethernet system into the world of
international standards. While they may appear quite dif-
ferent at first, the DIX version and the IEEE version of the
standard are functionally similar. Many vendors rate their
Ethernet hardware for use in both IEEE 802.3 and DIX version
2.0 systems. Of course, the prudent networker makes sure
that all of the hardware used to attach a computer to the
Ethernet is based on one version of the standard.
Most of the changes that the IEEE version of the standard
made were at the level of the Ethernet frame, which is the
set of bits that carry the data between computers. However,
both IEEE and DIX Ethernet frames can coexist on the same
Ethernet LAN without any problems.
The next several items list the formal Ethernet standards in
use today. These are the technical standards for Ether-
net/802.3 LANs, and they can be heavy going for non-
engineers. There is no tutorial information in the stan-
dards, and the technical jargon they use makes them diffi-
cult to read. The newer IEEE standards use a special
language developed for open systems standards that can
bewilder the unprepared. The book listed next provides a
guide to the newcomer to IEEE standards.
o LANs
Applications of IEEE/ANSI 802 Standards
Thomas W. Madron.
1989, John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY, 308 pps. with
index and glossary
$34.95.
ISBN 0-471-62049-1.
An introduction to LANs from the point of view of the evolv-
ing network standards. This book presents the world of net-
work standards and how they're organized. The various stan-
dards agencies are described and the Open System Intercon-
nection (OSI) model is explained. Following this, the IEEE
802 standards are described, and the way that the IEEE stan-
dards fit within the OSI organization is explained.
The bulk of the book describes the individual IEEE LAN stan-
dards. The book closes with a explanation of the basics of
TCP/IP operation, including the function of LANs in the
delivery of TCP/IP services.
From the Preface:
"The object of this book is to provide a reasonably detailed
overview of contemporary LAN standards, especially those
developed through the auspices of the Institute of Electri-
cal and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). To be meaningful,
however, the discussion of the IEEE standards is placed in
Page 31
Section 3: Ethernet
the context of the development of standards generally, then
in the framework of the Open System Interconnection (OSI)
Reference Model of the International Organization for Stan-
dardization (ISO). After describing the IEEE standards
(from 802.1 through 802.6), the way in which the standards
can be applied in 'real' networks is illustrated through a
discussion of the Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP)
and the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
(TCP/IP), in Chapters 9 and 10 respectively."
3.5.1. The DIX Standard
o Version 2.0, DEC-Intel-Xerox (DIX) Ethernet Standard
Ethernet Local Area Network Specification Version 2.0.
November, 1982
Digital Equipment Corporation, Intel Corporation, Xerox
Corporation, 103 pps.
$32.00.
DEC Part Number: AA-K759B-TK.
Available from DEC-Direct by calling (800) 344-4825.
This is Version 2.0 of the original 10 Mbit/sec thick Ether-
net specification. The newer IEEE 802.3 standard supersedes
the DIX spec listed here, but many network protocol imple-
mentations still use the Ethernet frame from the DIX specif-
ication.
This specification is organized according to the OSI model,
but uses somewhat less technical jargon than newer stan-
dards. That makes it a document that is more approachable
by the non-expert than the IEEE standard tends to be. The
DIX specification is still a technical standard, however,
and contains no tutorial information on the design and
operation of Ethernets. Just the facts.
3.5.2. The IEEE 802.3 Standard (ISO 8802.3)
The IEEE 802.3 standard is the current standard for thick
Ethernet as well as for the newer varieties. However, noth-
ing stands still very long in the standards world, and the
IEEE standard is no exception. Starting as a multi-vendor
standard (DIX), the Ethernet system then became a national
standard (IEEE/ANSI), and the IEEE specs have now been
accepted as an international (ISO/IEC) standard.
This explains why the IEEE specification has been superseded
by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
standard, and why the IEEE organization now sells the ISO
volume of specifications, instead of the older IEEE 802.3
volume. The name of the latest international "Ethernet-
like" standard is (take a deep breath):
Page 32
Section 3: Ethernet
o ISO/IEC 8802-3 : 1990/ADD 2 (E) (ANSI/IEEE Std 802.3-
1988 Second Edition)
Information Processing Systems - Local Area Networks -
Part 3: Carrier
Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection
(CSMA/CD) Access Method
and Physical Layer Specifications (ANSI)
ISBN 1-55937-049-1
IEEE product number: SH13482
$75.00 (from IEEE publications catalog) ($49.00 to IEEE
members)
Available from, IEEE Service Center, 445 Hoes Lane
,Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-1331
or by calling (800) 678-4333.
These are the current specifications for an Ethernet-like
CSMA/CD LAN. Despite the major reworking of the original
DIX standard by the IEEE, and despite changes made in the
way some things work, the IEEE and DIX specs have a strong
functional similarity at the hardware level. The changes
that have caused hardware problems are the ones that affect
the signals and wiring on the transceiver (AUI) cable, pri-
marily used in older thick Ethernet installations.
Old and new hardware can interoperate well on Ethernet/802.3
LANs, despite the differences in the specifications. Many
network protocol implementations (TCP/IP among them) con-
tinue to use the original DIX Ethernet frame as well.
Campus Ethernets used to interconnect computers equipped
with hardware built according to both the DIX and 802.3
specs will still interoperate. The standards were written
so that mixing things together like this on the same Ether-
net media works.
3.5.3. IEEE Supplements
A few parts of the IEEE 802.3 standard have not yet made it
through the ISO standardization process and into the ISO
document. Instead, they are found in this document:
o IEEE Std802.3b, c, d, and e-1989 Edition
Supplements to Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Col-
lision Detection
(CSMA/CD) (ANSI)
ISBN 1-55937-013-0
IEEE Product Number SH12351
$49.50 (from IEEE publications catalog). Same access
as above.
The companion document to ISO 8802-3 above. This supplement
contains a set of additions to the basic IEEE standard that
have not yet made it to ISO status, including the Fiber
Optic Inter-Repeater Link and the broadband Ethernet
Page 33
Section 3: Ethernet
standard (Type 10BROAD36).
3.5.4. Twisted-Pair Ethernet Specifications
The most recent variety of the three Ethernet varieties
described above is twisted-pair Ethernet. The twisted-pair
specification is described in another supplement from IEEE.
This supplement also contains some newly written guidelines
for building large, multi-segment Ethernets using a mix of
Ethernet varieties. The title is (take another deep
breath):
o 802.3i-1990 IEEE Supplement to Carrier Sense Multiple
Access
with Collision Detection CSMA/CD Access Method and Phy-
sical Layer
Specifications: System Considerations for Multisegment
10 Mb/s
Baseband Networks (Section 13) and Twisted-Pair Medium
Attachment Unit
(MAU) and Baseband Medium, Type 10BASE-T (Section 14)
ISBN 1-55937-070-X
IEEE Product Number SH13763
Price $23.50, from IEEE catalog. Same access for IEEE
as above.
3.6. Ethernet Numbers
This section describes two sets of numbers used in the Eth-
ernet system. Both sets are useful in network troubleshoot-
ing. The standards agencies that oversee the administration
of these numbers are also listed.
3.6.1. Ethernet Type Numbers and Addresses
The Ethernet frame specified by the DIX standard contains a
type field. The type field contains a type number that
describes the type of high-level network protocol (such as
TCP/IP) being carried by the Ethernet frame. This informa-
tion can be quite handy when you're troubleshooting a LAN
problem and trying to figure out which high-level protocol
may be involved.
In the new IEEE 802.3 frame specification, the type field
was replaced by a more general, but more complex, set of
frame specifiers. Nevertheless, many network software
implementations still use the DIX frame specification, and
its Ethernet type field.
The addresses used in Ethernet frames are also useful to the
network troubleshooter. The 48-bit Ethernet address is
divided into two 24-bit blocks. The first block corresponds
to a specific manufacturer and the second block is a unique
Page 34
Section 3: Ethernet
interface identifier assigned by the manufacturer. If you
know the manufacturer's number, you can frequently identify
which computer may be causing network problems.
The IEEE treats Ethernet addresses as confidential informa-
tion. Nevertheless, a list of type fields and vendors'
addresses has been compiled by network administrators who
observed and analyzed Ethernet traffic. This means the list
is necessarily incomplete. And, of course, the list won't
reflect numbers for Ethernet types and addresses assigned
after the list was created.
3.6.2. Assigned Numbers RFC
A list of Ethernet numbers for troubleshooting, including
both the type field numbers and the Ethernet address
numbers, can be found in the latest Assigned Numbers RFC.
The Assigned Numbers RFC is a frequently updated RFC for the
TCP/IP protocol suite that also contains the Ethernet
numbers. The most recent version of this document is
RFC1060. This RFC may be retrieved as described in the sec-
tion on TCP/IP and the RFCs.
3.6.3. Administration of Ethernet Numbers
Type Field
Since the type field is part of the older DIX specification,
Xerox manages the administration of Ethernet type fields.
The Ethernet patents are owned by Xerox as well, and
licenses to build Ethernet equipment using these patents can
be obtained from the same source. Anyone wishing to apply
for a new type field should contact Xerox at the following
address:
Xerox Corporation
Xerox Systems Institute
475 Oakmead Parkway
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
408-737-4652
As stated in a recent Xerox literature catalog: "Per Appen-
dix B of the Ethernet Specification, a Ethernet type field
will be assigned on written request to each licensee of Eth-
ernet patents. The licensing fee is $1000.00. Others wish-
ing to obtain type field assignments may do so by including
a $300.00 administrative fee with their written request."
IEEE 802.3 Addresses
All new Ethernet addresses are assigned by the IEEE,
although older ones assigned by Xerox are still valid. The
manufacturer assigns an address to each Ethernet interface
Page 35
Section 3: Ethernet
card.
Anyone attaching a computer to an Ethernet system need not
concern themselves with addresses, since a unique Ethernet
address is assigned to each Ethernet interface at the fac-
tory. On the other hand, for the curious, a block of
addresses costs $1000.00. The address for inquiries is:
IEEE Standards Office
820 Second Avenue, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10017-4504
(201) 981-0060
3.7. Ethernet Performance Analysis
Ethernet has been around for a while and provides network
communications at many sites, so you'd think that the per-
formance characteristics would be well established.
Nonetheless there have been surprising claims made about
Ethernet's ability to transmit data.
Some of the claims have been based on papers written about
the Ethernet system over the last several years. A number
of these papers have based performance analysis on simula-
tions and simplifications of the Ethernet protocols. This
has helped establish a mythology about Ethernet performance
limits.
Based on these simulations and simplifications, some people
will tell you that Ethernet systems saturate at relatively
low packet rates. Fortunately there has been some empirical
analysis that helps explain how Ethernet has managed to pro-
vide robust service and high data rates at so many sites
over the years:
o Measured Capacity of an Ethernet: Myths and Reality
David R. Boggs, Jeffrey C. Mogul, Christopher A. Kent.
Proceedings of the SIGCOMM '88 Symposium on Communica-
tions
Architectures and Protocols, ACM SIGCOMM, Stanford,
CA., August 1988,
31 pps.
This technical report from Digital's Western Research Lab
presents empirical evidence showing that the 10 Mbit/sec
Ethernet system is capable of transmitting large amounts of
data in a reliable fashion. Also useful is the analysis of
what makes a good Ethernet implementation. The report
includes a brief set of network design guidelines for net-
work managers who want to optimize their Ethernet system.
From the Abstract:
Page 36
Section 3: Ethernet
"Ethernet, a 10 Mbit/sec CSMA/CD network, is one of the most
successful LAN technologies. Considerable confusion exists
as to the actual capacity of an Ethernet, especially since
some of the theoretical studies have examined operating
regimes that are not characteristic of actual networks.
Based on measurements of an actual implementation, we show
that for a wide class of applications, Ethernet is capable
of carrying its nominal bandwidth of useful traffic, and
allocates the bandwidth fairly."
From the Introduction:
"Ethernet works in practice, but allegedly not in theory:
some people have sufficiently misunderstood the existing
studies of Ethernet performance so as to create a surpris-
ingly resilient mythology. One myth is that Ethernet is
saturated at an offered load of 37%; this is an incorrect
reading of the theoretical studies, and is easily disproved
in practice. This paper is an attempt to dispel such
myths."
This paper is available over the Internet via electronic
mail from the DEC Western Research archive server. Send a
message to the automatic mail server with the word "help" in
the Subject line of the message for detailed instructions.
The address of the mail server is WRL-
Techreports@decwrl.dec.com.
You may also request a copy of the report through the U.S.
postal system by writing to:
Technical Report Distribution
DEC Western Research Laboratory, UCO-4
100 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, California 94301
3.8. Ethernet Hardware and Vendors
Ethernet hardware comes in several forms. At the physical
media level, there are basic components: coaxial cable,
twisted-pair cable, and connectors. The next level up
features components such as transceivers, transceiver
cables, Ethernet interfaces, and repeaters. At the higher
levels of network concatenation are devices such as Ethernet
bridges and routers.
Just to keep things interesting, different varieties of Eth-
ernet require different components. For instance, thick
Ethernet media systems use different components than
twisted-pair media. Moreover, every vendor seems to have
its own special design for equipment such as Ethernet hubs.
It's a large market, and impossible to cover in any short
list of resources such as this one. Lists of vendors and
Page 37
Section 3: Ethernet
products may be found in buyer's guides published by some of
the LAN magazines shown in the next section.
One representative source of Ethernet equipment is a catalog
from the Anixter equipment distributors. The Anixter Wiring
Systems Product Catalog is a vast compendium that lists many
different vendors, supplying all manner of communications
equipment.
For example, the catalog has separate sections for both Eth-
ernet and DEC's special Ethernet wiring system (called DEC-
connect). The catalog also features a glossary of communi-
cations industry terms, and an index. All in all, this
catalog is a useful resource for the LAN manager. Catalogs
are available from your local Anixter distributor, or try:
o Anixter Bros., Inc.
4711 Golf Road
Skokie, IL 60076
Phone 312-677-2600
Page 38
Section 4: Interest Groups, Periodicals and Conferences
Section 4
4. Interest Groups, Periodicals, and Conferences
This section lists electronic mail interest groups, network-
ing periodicals, networking conferences, and other miscel-
laneous items.
4.1. Interest Groups
There is a large and ever-increasing set of interest groups
that communicate via redistributed electronic mail and the
Usenet (User's Network). Details on how electronic mail
functions may be found in "Life With Unix," "The User's
Directory of Computer Networks," and other sources listed in
previous sections.
Briefly, electronic mail redistribution consists of mailing
lists to which you add your email address. Mail sent to the
list is redistributed to all members of the list. Some of
the lists have moderators who filter the incoming mail
before sending it out to the members. Other lists are unmo-
derated, and all mail sent to the main address of the list
is automatically resent to every member of the list.
The Usenet system is a method of distributing electronic
mail that has been organized as a set of articles stored as
a newsgroup. In practice, each group consists of a disk
file that holds a given number of messages sent to the group
address. The number of files saved in each group at any
given moment is a local administration issue, and depends on
the disk space available, etc. As the space is filled up,
old messages disappear when new messages arrive. There are
hundreds of groups being distributed by the Usenet system,
with an uncounted but huge audience worldwide. Usenet is
often simply called "netnews," or even just "news."
4.1.1. SRI List of Lists
Many lists began life on the ARPANET, where they were
registered in a master file called the List of Lists. Also
known as the Interest Groups file, this master list of elec-
tronic mailing lists is kept at SRI. The SRI list that
describes all manner of interest groups available via the
Internet. There is considerable overlap with the BITNET
lists shown below. A sample description from the SRI list
follows:
o "INFO-NETS@THINK.COM
Mailing list for general discussion of networks, focus-
ing on inter-network connectivity. Questions about
connections to particular sites are very common, as are
Page 39
Section 4: Interest-Groups, Periodicals and Conferences
discussions of new networks in the US and abroad.
New archives are maintained on THINK.COM, and can be
accessed via anonymous ftp as mail/info-nets.archives*.
Archives cannot be mailed, but they are available on
BITNIC for Bitnet users. Old archives are not
currently available, but if demand warrants it may be
possible to retrieve them.
All non-BitNet requests to be added to or deleted from
this list, problems, questions, etc., should be sent to
INFO-NETS-REQUEST@THINK.COM. Multiple users at a given
site should create a local distribution list and
request that the local alias be added to the list, in
order to reduce the load on the THINK.COM mailer.
There is a BitNet sub-distribution list,
INFONETS@BITNIC; BitNet subscribers can join by sending
the SUB command with your name. For example, SEND
LISTSERV@BITNIC SUB INFONETS Jon Doe
To be removed from the list, SEND LISTSERV@BITNIC SIGN-
OFF
To make contributions to the list, BitNet subscribers
should send mail to the ARPANet list name, NOT to the
BITNET list name.
Coordinator: Robert L. Krawitz <rlk@THINK.COM>"
Access to SRI List of Lists
The SRI Interest Groups list is available via anonymous FTP
and mail server.
Anonymous FTP:
The anonymous FTP address is:
ftp.nisc.sri.com.
The filename is:
interest-groups
and it may be found in the:
pub/netinfo directory.
Mail Server:
The Interest Groups file may also be retrieved using
the electronic mail-based mail server.
The mail server address is:
mail-server@nisc.sri.com.
Send a mail message to the server with the command:
send netinfo/interest-groups
and the server will respond by sending the entire
Interest Groups file, split up into several separate
mail messages.
Page 40
Section 4: Interest Groups, Periodicals and Conferences
4.1.2. BITNET
The BITNET networks support a wide range of interest lists
and archives. The best way to find out about these
resources is to send a message to the LISTSERV utility main-
tained at host BITNIC. You can request a help file describ-
ing the LISTSERV utility. You can also request a copy of
the BITNET list of lists which is called the LISTSERV GROUPS
file. Here's an example entry from the BITNET list of lists
file:
o "List: BIG-LAN@SUVM
Coordinator: John Wobus (JMWOBUS@SUVM)
BIG-LAN: Discussion of issues in designing and opera-
tion Campus-Size Local Area Networks, especially com-
plex ones utilizing multiple technologies and support-
ing multiple protocols. Topics include repeaters,
bridges vs. routers and gateways; how to incorporate
smaller Personal-Computer type LANs into the campus-
wide LAN; how to unify the mail systems, etc. All
requests to be added, deleted from this list, problems
or questions should be sent to BIG-REQ@SUVM."
Access to BITNET Lists
To get a copy of the LISTSERV lists file send a mail message
to LISTSERV@BITNIC.BITNET and include the command:
SENDME LISTSERV GROUPS
The command should be in the body of the message and there
should be no other text in the message. To get a copy of a
description of the LISTSERV utility send a request to the
same address with the command:
SENDME LISTSERV MEMO
4.1.3. Usenet Groups
There are a large number of interest groups available via
the Usenet. Here are just two examples:
o comp.protocols.tcp-ip
This is short for "computers, protocols, TCP/IP." This
list discusses any and all TCP/IP issues.
o comp.dcom.lans
Once heavily oriented to LAN hardware, especially Eth-
ernet equipment, this list also sees message traffic
about network operating systems such as Novell.
There are many, many more lists of this sort available via
the Usenet. The group news.announce.newusers periodically
publishes articles that contain lists of groups available on
Usenet, as well as mailing lists available on other network
systems. The monthly postings in this group also include
Page 41
Section 4: Interest-Groups, Periodicals and Conferences
introductory articles for newcomers to the Usenet system.
Consult your local system administrator for information
about access to the Usenet system.
4.2. Periodicals
You'll find networking topics described in many different
periodicals and journals. The book "Life With UNIX" lists a
number of UNIX periodicals that include articles on network-
ing.
There are also many periodicals and journals that specialize
in networking issues or have a heavy emphasis on covering
networking stories. Several network periodicals are listed
here to provide an idea of what's available.
Each periodical has a different format, mix of articles, and
writing style. It's up to you to try them out and decide
which ones provide the information you need. For more exam-
ples consult an engineering library or technical bookstore.
o Network World
The Newsweekly of User Networking Strategies
Weekly tabloid
Available free to qualified subscribers
Network World
161 Worchester Road
Framingham, Mass. 01701
(508) 875-6400
Wide coverage of the network market including frequent
buyer's guides focused on specific equipment such as bridges
or routers. A good place to find the latest news on what
the major vendors are up to, as well as the latest network
technology offerings.
o Communications Week
The Newspaper For Network Decision Makers
Weekly tabloid
Available free to qualified subscribers
Communications Week
P.O. Box 2070
Manhasset, NY 11030
A networking weekly that also tracks the networking market
as well as the activities of major vendors. Publishes
buyer's guides.
o Data Communications
McGraw-Hill's Networking Technology Magazine
Monthly magazine
Available free to qualified subscribers
Data Communications
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Section 4: Interest Groups, Periodicals and Conferences
McGraw-Hill Inc.
McGraw-Hill Building
1221 Avenue of the Americas
New York, N.Y. 10020
(212) 512-2000
Features large network systems along with LAN coverage.
Includes articles on wide area networks, T1 and other serial
line technologies, equipment tests, the latest networking
developments, etc.
o Connexions
The Interoperability Report
U.S./Canada subscriptions $150. for 12 issues/year
No advertising
Connexions
480 San Antonio Road, Suite 100
Mountain View, CA 94040
(415) 941-3399
A publication associated with the Interop conference, Con-
nexions concentrates on technical articles from protocol
developers and others working on the latest issues in net-
work interoperability. Status reports on the latest
research in various network issues are also featured.
o Computer Communication Review
The SIGCOMM Quarterly Publication
$37. includes copy of Annual SIGCOMM conference
proceedings
Association for Computing Machinery
P.O. Box 12115
Church Street Station
New York, N.Y. 10249
(212) 869-7440
The Computer Communication Review is a quarterly report on
SIGCOMM, the ACM special interest group on data communica-
tion. It includes reports on networking, telephony, and
protocol verification. The topics covered include network
architecture and design for LANs and large networks, recent
network standards activities, etc. You can find news here
about the latest thinking in network standards, as well as
reports on work to increase the speed of networks and proto-
cols. A subscription also gets you a copy of the annual
SIGCOMM conference proceedings.
o LAN Technology
The Technical Resource For Network Integrators
$25 for 12 issues /year
For subscriptions:
LAN Technology
P.O. Box 52315
Page 43
Section 4: Interest-Groups, Periodicals and Conferences
Boulder, CO 80321-2315
(800) 456-1654
Features personal computer LANs and the network operating
software typically found on such LANs. Also covers larger
internet issues, such as network management protocols,
reports on protocol analyzers, and the like.
o LAN
The Local Area Network Magazine
$19.97 for 12 issues /year
For subscriptions:
LAN
Miller Freeman Publications
P.O. Box 41904
Nashville, TN 37204
(800) 933-3321 or (615) 377-3322
Covers personal computer LANs, and includes interviews with
various networking experts. Also features regular buyer's
guides, equipment tests and reviews, and articles on new
network technologies.
o Network Computing
Computing in a Network Environment
Available free to qualified subscribers:
Network Computing
P.O. Box 4751
Manhasset NY 11030-4751
(516) 562-5071
Emphasizes network operating systems and software. Personal
computer issues and the latest in PC network hardware and
software are topics.
4.3. Conferences
Just about every computer conference includes networking
issues these days. There are also several conferences that
focus on networking, each with their own particular slant
such as PC networks, mainframe networks, etc.
INTEROP
There is one conference that focuses on interoperability
issues and is loaded with information on the three main
topics of this reading list. The conference is INTEROP,
held each year in October in northern California. The last
conference had 20,000 attendees and featured a vendor exhi-
bit with over 200 participants.
The vendor booths are all attached to a large show network
in what is the biggest practical demonstration of network
Page 44
Section 4: Interest Groups, Periodicals and Conferences
interoperability anywhere. The conference features tutori-
als by TCP/IP experts, and several days of technical ses-
sions on all manner of TCP/IP subjects, UNIX networking, and
Ethernet issues, as well as on evolving OSI protocols, etc.
For more information contact:
o Interop Inc.
480 San Antonio Road, Suite 100
Mountain View, CA 94040
414-941-3399
FAX 415-949-1779
USENIX
One UNIX-oriented meeting that is likely to be of use to
networkers is the USENIX conference, run by the USENIX Asso-
ciation. USENIX conferences are aimed at the technical UNIX
developer and feature technical sessions based on refereed
papers.
The latest work in Berkeley UNIX networking is frequently
presented here, as well as work in other varieties of UNIX.
You can stay fairly current with the latest in UNIX network-
ing and other developments by reading the conference
proceedings for the twice a year USENIX conferences.
The USENIX Association also publishes a newsletter,
";login:," which publishes book reviews, reports on UNIX
standardization meetings, and the like. For more informa-
tion, contact:
o USENIX Association
2560 Ninth Street, Suite 215
Berkeley, CA 94710
1-415-528-8649
Internet Address: office@usenix.org
4.4. Access to the Internet
The UT Austin campus network is connected to the national
and worldwide Internet via THEnet, the statewide Texas
Higher Education network. Like UT, many universities are
connected to the Internet by way of various regional net-
works. Many companies have gained access to the Internet in
the same fashion. If you are looking for an Internet con-
nection, the first thing to do is check with your local net-
work administrator. The following is a list of some network
access providers.
o UUNet Technologies, Inc.
3110 Fairview Park Drive, Suite 570
Falls Church, VA 22042
(703) 876-5050
Page 45
Section 4: Interest-Groups, Periodicals and Conferences
info@uunet.uu.net
o Performance Systems International (PSI)
11800 Sunrise Valley Drive
Suite 1100
Reston, VA 22091
(800) 827-7482
(703) 620-6651
FAX: (703) 620-4586
Email: info@psi.com
o Advanced Network & Services, Inc. (ANS)
100 Clearbrook Road
Elmsford, NY 10523
(800) 456-8267
(914) 789-5300
Email: info@nis.ans.net
o California Education & Research Federation Network
(CERFnet)
c/o San Diego Supercomputer Center
P.O. Box 85608
San Diego, CA 92186-9784
(800) 876-2373
Email: help@cerf.net
4.4.1. Access to Books
Many of the resources listed here are books, and can be
found in technical bookstores and engineering libraries. If
you are having trouble finding a book listed here, the fol-
lowing bookstore can probably help:
o Computer Literacy Bookshop
2590 North First St.
San Jose, CA 95131
Phone 408-435-1118 for mail orders.
Computer Literacy is a good source for computer and elec-
tronics books of all kinds. They also carry some of the
IEEE and ISO network standards, and can probably supply most
of the books listed in this guide.
Page 46
Table of Contents
Section 1 -- TCP/IP
Introduction To TCP/IP ................................ 1.1
Guides To The TCP/IP Internet ......................... 1.2
Electronic Mail and the Internet ...................... 1.3
TCP/IP Network Administration and Management .......... 1.4
The Request for Comments (RFCs) ....................... 1.5
Some Useful RFCs ......................................1.5.1
Section 2 -- UNIX
UNIX In General ....................................... 2.1
UNIX Networking In Detail ............................. 2.2
Section 3 -- Ethernet
Introduction To LAN Concepts ......................... 3.1
Introduction to Three Ethernet Varieties .............. 3.2
Vendor Guides ......................................... 3.3
Hewlett-Packard Manuals ...............................3.3.1
DEC Manuals ...........................................3.3.2
MOD-TAP ...............................................3.3.3
LAN Troubleshooting ................................... 3.4
Ethernet Standards .................................... 3.5
The DIX Standard ......................................3.5.1
The IEEE 802.3 Standard (ISO 8802.3) .................3.5.2
IEEE Supplements ......................................3.5.3
Twisted-Pair Ethernet Specifications ..................3.5.4
Ethernet Numbers ...................................... 3.6
Ethernet Type Numbers and Addresses ...................3.6.1
Assigned Numbers RFC ..................................3.6.2
Administration of Ethernet Numbers ....................3.6.3
Ethernet Performance Analysis ......................... 3.7
Ethernet Hardware and Vendors ........................ 3.8
Section 4 -- Interest Groups, Periodicals, and
Conferences
Interest Groups ....................................... 4.1
SRI List of Lists .....................................4.1.1
BITNET ................................................4.1.2
Usenet Groups .........................................4.1.3
Periodicals ........................................... 4.2
Conferences ........................................... 4.3
Access to the Internet ................................ 4.4
Access to Books ....................................... 4.5