Lab - Research Networking Standards

Objectives
• Research Networking Standards Organizations
• Reflect on Internet and Computer Networking Experiences

Background / Scenario
Using web search engines like Google, research the non-profit organizations that are
responsible for
establishing international standards for the internet and the development of internet
technologies.

Required Resources
Device with internet access

Instructions

Step 1: Research Networking Standards Organizations

In this step, you will identify some of the major standards organizations and important
characteristics, such as
the number of years in existence, the size of their membership, the important historical figures,
some of the
responsibilities and duties, organizational oversight role, and the location of the organization’s
headquarters.
Use a web browser or websites for various organizations to research information about the
following
organizations and the people who have been instrumental in maintaining them.
You can find answers to the questions below by searching the following organizational
acronyms and terms:
ISO, ITU, ICANN, IANA, IEEE, EIA, TIA, ISOC, IAB, IETF, W3C, RFC, and Wi-Fi Alliance.

1. Who is Jonathan B. Postel and what is he known for?

ANSWER: Jonathan B. Postel was an American computer scientist who is known for his
significant contributions to the development of the Internet, particularly in the areas of
network protocols and domain names. He was instrumental in establishing the Internet
Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), which are
key organizations responsible for developing and maintaining the technical standards that
govern the Internet. Postel was also involved in the creation of the Simple Mail Transfer
Protocol (SMTP), which is the standard protocol used for email communication on the Internet.
He passed away in 1998 at the age of 55.
2. Which two related organizations are responsible for managing the top-level domain
name space and the root
Domain Name System (DNS) name servers on the internet?
ANSWER: Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)
ICANN is responsible for managing the domain name system and coordinating the allocation of
IP addresses and other internet resources. IANA is a department within ICANN that is
responsible for the management of the root zone file, which contains information about the
top-level domain names and the corresponding IP addresses of the authoritative name servers
for each of these domains.

Vinton Cerf has been called one of main fathers of the internet. What internet
organizations did he chair or help found? What internet technologies did he help to develop
Vinton Cerf is considered one of the founding fathers of the Internet and has made significant
contributions to its development. Here are the internet organizations he helped found or chair
and the technologies he helped to develop:
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF): Cerf co-founded this organization in 1986, which is
responsible for developing and promoting Internet standards and protocols.
Internet Society (ISOC): Cerf co-founded this non-profit organization in 1992, which promotes
the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of all people
throughout the world.
Corporation for National Research Initiatives (CNRI): Cerf served as the Vice President and Chief
Scientist of this organization, which was founded in 1986 to support research and development
in information technology.
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C): Cerf served on the Advisory Board of this organization,
which was founded in 1994 to develop and promote standards for the World Wide Web.
In terms of technologies, Cerf is known for his contributions to the development of the TCP/IP
protocol, which is the foundation of the modern internet. He also co-designed the SMTP
protocol, which is used for sending and receiving email, and was involved in the development
of the Domain Name System (DNS), which is used to translate domain names into IP addresses.
3. Vinton Cerf has been called one of main fathers of the internet. What internet
organizations did he chair or
help found? What internet technologies did he help to develop?
ANSWER: Vinton Cerf is considered one of the founding fathers of the Internet and has made
significant contributions to its development. Here are the internet organizations he helped
found or chair and the technologies he helped to develop:
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF): Cerf co-founded this organization in 1986, which is
responsible for developing and promoting Internet standards and protocols.
Internet Society (ISOC): Cerf co-founded this non-profit organization in 1992, which promotes
the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of all people
throughout the world.
Corporation for National Research Initiatives (CNRI): Cerf served as the Vice President and Chief
Scientist of this organization, which was founded in 1986 to support research and development
in information technology.
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C): Cerf served on the Advisory Board of this organization,
which was founded in 1994 to develop and promote standards for the World Wide Web.
In terms of technologies, Cerf is known for his contributions to the development of the TCP/IP
protocol, which is the foundation of the modern internet. He also co-designed the SMTP
protocol, which is used for sending and receiving email, and was involved in the development
of the Domain Name System (DNS), which is used to translate domain names into IP addresses.

4. What organization is responsible for publishing Request for Comments (RFC)

ANSWER: The IETF is a large open international community of network designers, operators,
vendors, and researchers concerned with the evolution of the Internet architecture and the
smooth operation of the Internet

5. What do RFC 349 and RFC 1700 have in common?

Answer: RFC 349 and RFC 1700 are both related to the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
(IANA) and its responsibilities for managing various Internet protocol parameters, such as port
numbers and protocol identifiers.
6. What RFC number is the ARPAWOCKY? What is it?

Answer: 527, almost every April Fools' Day (1 April) since 1989, the Internet RFC Editor has
published one or more humorous Request for Comments (RFC) documents, following in the
path blazed by the June 1973 RFC 527 called ARPAWOCKY, a parody of Lewis Carroll's nonsense
poem "Jabberwocky."

7. Who founded the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)?

Answer: The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) was founded by Tim Berners-Lee after he left
the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in October, 1994. It was founded at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Laboratory for Computer Science (MIT/LCS).

8. Name 10 World Wide Web (WWW) standards that the W3C develops and maintains?
Answer: Some samples: Common Gateway Interface (CGI), Document Object Model (DOM),
HyperText Markup Language (HTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML)

9. Where is the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) headquarters

located and what is the
significance of its logo?
Answer: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is headquartered in New York
City, New York, United States. The IEEE logo is a diamond-shaped design which illustrates the
right hand grip rule embedded in Benjamin Franklin’s kite.

10. What is the IEEE standard for the Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) security
protocol?
Answer: WPA2 is based on IEEE 802.11i standard. It is commonly used on Wi-Fi wireless
network.

11. Is the Wi-Fi Alliance a non-profit standards organization? What is their goal?
Answer: yes, Wi-Fi Alliance is a non-profit trade association, and its goals are to ensure
interoperability and backward compatibility and provide innovation support.

12. Who is Hamadoun Touré?

Answer: Hamadoun Touré of Mali is the Secretary General of the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU).

13. What is the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and where is it

headquartered?

Answer: ITU is an agency of the United Nations dedicated to the information and
communication technologies. ITU’s headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland.

14. Name the three ITU sectors?

Answer: The three ITU sectors are: Radio communication, Standardization and Development.

15. What does the RS in RS-232 stand for and which organization introduced it?
Answer: RS stands for Recommended Standard. RS-232 was introduced by the Radio Section of
Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA).

16. What is SpaceWire?

Answer: SpaceWire is a high-speed communication network standard designed for use in
spacecraft and satellite systems. It was developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) in the
late 1990s as a replacement for older, slower data communication standards that were
commonly used in space applications.

17. What is the mission of the ISOC and where are its headquarters located?

Answer: The Internet Society (ISOC) is a global nonprofit organization that is dedicated to
promoting the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of all
people throughout the world. Its mission is to ensure that the Internet remains open,
transparent, and accessible to everyone, and that it continues to be a force for innovation,
collaboration, and economic and social development.
The headquarters of the ISOC are located in Reston, Virginia, USA. The organization also has
regional bureaus in Geneva, Switzerland, and Singapore, as well as a global network of chapters
and members who work together to advance the organization's mission and goals.

18. What organizations does the IAB oversee?

Answer: IAB oversees Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and Internet Research Task Force
(IRTF).

19. What organization oversees the IAB?

Answer:
ISOC oversees IAB.

20. When was the ISO founded and where are its headquarters located?
Answer: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was founded in 1947 and its
headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland.
Step 2: Reflect on Internet and Computer Networking Experiences

Take a moment to think about the internet today in relation to the organizations and
technologies you have
just researched. Then answer the following questions.

Questions:
1. How do the internet standards allow for greater commerce? What potential problems could
we have if we did
not have the IEEE?

ANSWER:
Internet standards enable greater commerce by providing a common set of rules and protocols that
allow different computer systems and networks to communicate and operate with each other. This
standard ensures that devices and networks from different manufacturers and vendors can work
together seamlessly, which is critical to enabling e-commerce and other forms of online transactions

Without IEEE and its role in developing and maintaining these standards, there will be a risk of
fragmentation and incompatibility between different devices, networks, and services, which could
hinder the growth of e-commerce and other online activities. In addition, the lack of common standards
can lead to increased complexity, cost, and inefficiency in developing and deploying Internet-based
systems and applications. It can also create security vulnerabilities and reduce the reliability and
robustness of Internet infrastructure, which can have serious consequences for businesses, individuals,
and society as a whole. Therefore, IEEE plays an important role in ensuring the interoperability,
reliability, and security of the Internet and its technologies, which are essential to support the growth
and innovation of e-commerce .

2. What potential problems could we have if we did not have the W3C?

Answer:1. Incompatibility issues: The W3C is responsible for creating and maintaining standards for web
technologies, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Without these standards, there would be no common
set of rules for how web technologies should work, which could lead to compatibility issues between
different browsers and devices.

2.Security vulnerabilities: The W3C plays an important role in ensuring that web technologies are secure
and do not pose a threat to user privacy or system security. Without the W3C, there would be no central
authority to establish and enforce security standards, which could lead to the development of insecure
web technologies.

3.Lack of innovation: The W3C is a forum for collaboration and innovation among industry leaders,
academics, and other stakeholders. Without the W3C, there would be no central hub for coordinating
and advancing web technologies, which could stifle innovation and slow the pace of progress.

4.Fragmentation: The W3C helps to ensure that web technologies are standardized across different
platforms and devices. Without the W3C, there would be a risk of fragmentation and inconsistency,
which could lead to confusion and increased costs for developers and users.

3. What can we learn from the example of the Wi-Fi Alliance with regard to the necessity of
networking standards?

Answer: The Wi-Fi Alliance example demonstrates that network standards are critical to driving
innovation, enabling interoperability, and ensuring widespread adoption of new technologies. Without
standards, there is a risk of fragmentation and inconsistency, which can hinder the development and
adoption of new technologies. The Wi-Fi Alliance shows that when industry leaders work together to
develop and promote common standards, it can generate significant benefits for consumers, businesses,
and society as a whole