How is TCP/IP defined?
All of the protocols in the TCP/IP suite are defined by documents called Requests For Comments (RFC’s). An important difference between TCP/IP RFC’s and other (say, IEEE or ITU) networking standards is that RFC’s are freely available online. RFC’s can be composed and submitted for approval by anyone. Standards RFC’s are often the product of many weeks or months of discussion between interested parties designated as working groups, during which time drafts of the proposed RFC are continually updated and made available for comment. These discussions typically take place on open mailing lists which welcome input from all quarters. The RFC approval process is managed by the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG) based on recommendations from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) which is a prime mover in the formation of working groups focused on strategic TCP/IP issues. You can find out more about IESG and IETF activities from the IETF home page at
