| The Internet is an amazing communication medium. Its predecessor network, the ARPANET, was developed over three decades ago, yet many of the fundamental algorithms and protocols are still in use today. Granted, we don’t have to run these protocols on a refrigerator-sized computer; our laptop or palmtop PC will do quite well. But think of it - how many other worldwide systems do we have today that have been serving us for several decades, and in much the same form? This is a true credit to the original architects of the Internet, as they clearly took the time to do their homework and designed a very solid system that benefits millions of us everyday.
But all systems require a tuneup or remodeling job over time, and the Internet is no exception. In the last few years we have seen the explosive growth of the World Wide Web, and the transport of multimedia signals, such as voice and video, over the Internet. As a result, new protocols to support real-time traffic have been developed. We have also seen the growth of electronic commerce, which has brought issues of network security to the forefront. And perhaps the biggest issue of all - the overall growth of the Internet - has inspired the development of a new protocol called Internet Protocol version 6, or IPv6, that addresses all three of the above challenges: multimedia support, enhanced security, and addressing shortages.
These and many other issues are addressed in this book. My objective has been to provide a comprehensive foundation of information that explains the underlying protocols of the Internet, such as the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP), while still looking forward to newer technologies such as Voice over Internet Protocol (Vow).
In working towards that objective, I had the support of a great team. My technical editor, Dr. John Thompson, made many constructive comments on the manuscript, and my copy editor, Annette Devlin, made sure that no grammatical rules were violated in the process. My assistant, Donna Mullen, produced all of the figures in the book, researched the appendices, and handled the final layout. My colleagues at John Wiley & Sons, George Telecki and Brendan Codey, provided great logistical support. And I would be remiss not to mention my support from the home front: Holly, Nathan, and Nicholas, with assistance from Boomer and Baron. |
