TCP/IP Tutorial and Technical Overview

Preface
The TCP/IP protocol suite has become a staple of today's international society and global economy. Continually evolving standards provide a wide and flexible foundation on which an entire infrastructure of applications are built.

Through these we can seek entertainment, conduct business, make financial transactions, deliver services, and much, much more. However, because TCP/IP continues to develop and grow in order to meet the changing needs of our communities, it might sometimes be hard to keep track of new functionality or identify new possibilities.

For this reason, the TCP/IP Tutorial and Technical Overview provides not only an introduction to the TCP/IP protocol suite, but also serves as a reference for advanced users seeking to keep their TCP/IP skills aligned with current standards. It is our hope that both the novice and the expert will find useful information in this publication.

In Part I, you will find an introduction to the core concepts and history upon which TCP/IP is founded. Included is an introduction to the history of TCP/IP and an overview of its current architecture. We also provide detailed discussions about the protocols that comprise the suite, and how those protocols are most commonly implemented.