TCP/IP First-Step

Introduction

TCP/IP is the language of the Internet. As such, it has become the single-most widely used communications protocol ever. It has literally revolutionized our world by enabling the Internet to become what it is today. Yet, for all its success, it remains a shadowy mystery to all but a handful of computer geeks and network nerds.

I’ll be the first to admit that TCP/IP is as complex and mysterious a protocol suite as you could hope to find. That’s a shame because it doesn’t need to be. TCP/IP has a rich history and offers many capabilities that the vast majority of today’s Internet users don’t know about. Although you could live a lifetime without ever knowing about or using these features, you would also be missing out on quite a bit! ...