IP Addressing Fundamentals

Introduction to Internet Names

There was a time when names were somewhat arbitrary (if not outright capricious) and less-than-universal in their use. In the very beginning of the Internet, there were only hundreds of computers, and each one could be accessed using a mnemonic that was locally created by network administrators. This led to the inevitable: one destination computer that was known by a myriad of names that varied by location. Although there was merit in having such mnemonics, the administrators agreed that consistency of nomenclature would be even better. What was originally a convenience for a small cadre of network and host administrators evolved into a system that became the single most enabling mechanism that opened up the benefits ...