IP and IPv6 Protocols
IP - Internet Protocol
IP is probably the world's single most popular network protocol. Data travels over an IP-based network in the form of packets. Each IP packet includes both a header (that specifies source, destination, and other information about the data) and the message data itself.
IP Practice Exam
These interactive pages present a series of questions and answers about IP. Test your knowledge of Internet Protocol by completing this exam.
Who Invented the Internet Protocol?
Two engineers co-authored the first research paper for what would later become Internet Protocol.
What is IPv6?
IPv6 is the next generation protocol for Internet Protocol (IP) networking. IPv6 coexists with and will someday replace the current IPv4 standard.
HTTP - HyperText Transfer Protocol
The Hypertext Transfer Protocol - HTTP - provides a standard for Web browsers and servers to communicate. HTTP is an application layer network protocol built on top of TCP.
HTTP Error and Status Codes Explained
HTTP includes a system of code numbers included in server response messages to indicate the result of client requests. HTTP result codes are three digit numbers starting with 100 and sometimes displayed on Web pages when errors occur.
MAC - Media Access Control
MAC is a mechanism to support access control and identification of computers on an Internet Protocol (IP) network. MAC assigns a unique number to each IP network adapter called the MAC address.
ICMP
ICMP is a simple network protocol useful in IP network management and administration. All implementations of IP require an accompanying implementation of ICMP.
SMTP
SMTP - Simple Mail Transfer Protocol - is a standard network protocol used for transmitting email messages to a mail server on the Internet. SMTP settings in an email client point to an SMTP server that is normally paired with either a POP or IMAP server for receiving mails. SMTP uses TCP port number 25, and sometimes also TCP port 587.
What Is a Port Number?
In computer networking, a port number is part of the addressing information used to identify the senders and receivers of messages. Port numbers are most commonly used with TCP/IP connections. Home network routers and computer software work with ports and sometimes allow you to configure port settings.
Vista and IPv6
The Microsoft Vista operating system contains built-in support for IPv6. While it's true that some extra traffic to DNS servers will be needed to support IPv6 queries, will Vista really cause Internet traffic problems?