In October 2008 I gave myself a rather ambitious long term challenge – to read all the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) RFC (Request For Comments) documents, in order, starting from number 1.

My aim, by the end of the project, is to gain a deeper understanding into just what this thing we call the Internet is and how it works.

The IETF RFC are one of the most important collections of documents involved in the building of the Internet we know today. RFC currently number over 5,500 so reading, and attempting to understand, them could take some considerable time. As I read them I will maintain a diary with a short, and hopefully, interesting observation about each one.

Recently added, at the end of this article, is a glossary of regular used acronyms and terms used in this article.

RFC Contents

• Introduction
• RFC and IETF Background
• Update Status
• Protocol RFC Chain
• RFC Year By Year
• RFC Glossary: Explaining the technical terms
• Further Reading