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author | Thomas Voss <mail@thomasvoss.com> | 2024-11-27 20:54:24 +0100 |
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committer | Thomas Voss <mail@thomasvoss.com> | 2024-11-27 20:54:24 +0100 |
commit | 4bfd864f10b68b71482b35c818559068ef8d5797 (patch) | |
tree | e3989f47a7994642eb325063d46e8f08ffa681dc /doc/rfc/rfc1775.txt | |
parent | ea76e11061bda059ae9f9ad130a9895cc85607db (diff) |
doc: Add RFC documents
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diff --git a/doc/rfc/rfc1775.txt b/doc/rfc/rfc1775.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..abd3518 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/rfc/rfc1775.txt @@ -0,0 +1,227 @@ + + + + + + +Network Working Group D. Crocker +Request for Comments: 1775 Brandenburg Consulting +Category: Informational March 1995 + + + To Be "On" the Internet + +Status of this Memo + + This memo provides information for the Internet community. This memo + does not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of + this memo is unlimited. + +Abstract + + The Internet permits different levels of access for consumers and + providers of service. The nature of those differences is quite + important in the capabilities They afford. Hence, it is appropriate + to provide terminology that distinguishes among the range, so that + the Internet community can gain some clarity when distinguishing + whether a user (or an organization) is "on" the Internet. This + document suggests four terms, for distinguishing the major classes of + access. + +1. INTRODUCTION + + The Internet is many things to many people. It began as a technology + and has grown into a global service. With the growth has come + increased complexity in details of the technology and service, + resulting in confusion when trying to determine whether a given user + is "on" the Internet. Who is on the Internet? What capabilities do + they have? This note is an attempt to aid Internet consumers and + providers in determining the basic types of end-user access that + distinguish critical differences in Internet attachment. + + The list was developed primarily for the perspective of users, rather + than for the technical community. The definitions in this list take + the perspective that users are primarily interested in application + services. A curious implication is that some of the definitions do + not rely on the direct use of the underlying Internet connectivity + protocols, TCP/IP. For many technical discussions, therefore, these + terms will not be appropriate. + + + + + + + + + +Crocker [Page 1] + +RFC 1775 To Be "On" the Internet March 1995 + + +2. LABELS FOR INTERNET ACCESS + + The following definitions move from "most" to "least" Internet + access, from the perspective of the user (consumer). The first term + is primarily applicable to Internet service providers. The remaining + terms are primarily applicable to consumers of Internet service. + + FULL ACCESS + + This is a permanent (full-time) Internet attachment running + TCP/IP, primarily appropriate for allowing the Internet community + to access application servers, operated by Internet service + providers. Machines with Full access are directly visible to + others attached to the Internet, such as through the Internet + Protocol's ICMP Echo (ping) facility. The core of the Internet + comprises those machines with Full access. + + CLIENT ACCESS + + The user runs applications that employ Internet application + protocols directly on their own computer platform, but might not + be running underlying Internet protocols (TCP/IP), might not have + full-time access, such as through dial-up, or might have + constrained access, such as through a firewall. When active, + Client users might be visible to the general Internet, but such + visibility cannot be predicted. For example, this means that most + Client access users will not be detected during an empirical + probing of systems "on" the Internet at any given moment, such as + through the ICMP Echo facility. + + MEDIATED ACCESS + + The user runs no Internet applications on their own platform. An + Internet service provider runs applications that use Internet + protocols on the provider's platform, for the user. User has + simplified access to the provider, such as dial-up terminal + connectivity. For Mediated access, the user is on the Internet, + but their computer platform is not. Instead, it is the computer + of the mediating service (provider) which is on the Internet. + + MESSAGING ACCESS + + The user has no Internet access, except through electronic mail + and through netnews, such as Usenet or a bulletin board service. + Since messaging services can be used as a high-latency -- i.e., + slow -- transport service, the use of this level of access for + mail-enabled services can be quite powerful, though not + interactive. + + + +Crocker [Page 2] + +RFC 1775 To Be "On" the Internet March 1995 + + +3. SAMPLE USAGE + + The test of a nomenclature is, of course, its application to real- + life situations. Two simple cases involve home users. If a user + accesses the Internet by running a terminal program on their PC and + then dials up a public service which provides the Internet + applications, then that user has Mediated Internet access. The + public service has Client or Full access, but the user does not. On + the other hand, users who access via SLIP or PPP are running Internet + applications on their own PCs and they have Client Internet access. + + Many corporations now have a full-time link to the Internet. The + link is based on TCP/IP and usually has a number of Internet servers + running, for email exchange and for making public corporate data + available to the rest of the world, such as through the World Wide + Web and Gopher. Clearly, the corporation is "on" the Internet, with + Full Internet access. + + What about a user in that corporation? Many corporations today + separate their internal internet from the public Internet via a + firewall. If a user from the internal internet has a desktop + computer and reaches out to the Internet, through the firewall, by + running any Internet applications, such as a Web browser, then that + user has Client Internet access. + + Some corporations will not allow this, instead requiring all software + which touches the public Internet to be run on specially-administered + machines which are part of the corporation's firewall suite of + services. Hence, users must make a terminal connection to the + special machines, from there running the Internet applications. Such + users have Mediated Internet access, the same as home users who dial + up a public service. + +4. SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS + + This specification does NOT, itself, provide or define any security- + related mechanisms. However it does describe scenarios with + different security implications for users and providers. Readers of + this discussion are cautioned to consider those implications when + choosing a service. + +5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS + + Development of these definitions was spurred by many public and + private discussions in which confusion over Internet access reigned. + Convergence on an initial set of three terms was the result of + discussion on the Big-Internet mailing list, particularly from + comments made by Alan Barret, Howard Berkowitz, Noel Chiappa, Steve + + + +Crocker [Page 3] + +RFC 1775 To Be "On" the Internet March 1995 + + + Goldstein, Iain Hanson, Gary Malkin, Bob McKisson, Tim O'Reilly, Dave + Piscitello and Bill Simpson. Eventually, the need for a fourth + category became evident and was discussed further with the + participants on the list. This does not mean that any of them + necessarily endorses the terms and definitions provided, merely that + their notes assisted my thinking on the topic. After the initial + round of public discussion, Smoot Carl-Mitchell and John Quarterman + of Texas Internet Consulting developed terminology for similar + categories and served to prompt modification of this set, described, + here, to distinguish between provider and consumer forms of access + and emphasize the role of Full access in defining the Internet core. + +6. Security Considerations + + Security issues are not discussed in this memo. + +7. Author's Address + + David H. Crocker + Brandenburg Consulting + 675 Spruce Dr. + Sunnyvale, CA 94086 USA + + Phone: +1 408 246 8253 + Fax: +1 408 249 6205 + EMail: dcrocker@mordor.stanford.edu + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Crocker [Page 4] + |