Appendix C. Understanding TCP/IP v4

The TCP/IP Protocol Suite	1257
IP Addresses and What They Mean	1262
Routers and Subnets	1265
Name Resolution	1269
Summary	1280

The protocol wars have ended, and TCP/IP is the winner. After years of proprietary protocols vying for popularity, TCP/IP has emerged as the only protocol needed by most networks. Every modern computer supports TCP/IP, as do a growing number of other devices such as printers, network appliances, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and cell phones. Additionally, Novell NetWare, Microsoft Windows, and Apple Mac OS have been using TCP/IP as their preferred network protocol for some time now. What is different is that version 6 of the TCP/IP protocols (IPv6) is beginning to enter our everyday world, and will eventually replace the ubiquitous version 4 of TCP/IP (IPv4).