[comp.protocols.appletalk] TCP/IP question

RSILVERMAN@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU (Richard Silverman) (04/02/89)

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Date: 31-MAR-1989 08:40:05.66
From: Richard Silverman <RSILVERMAN@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU>
Subject: ftp
To: GPH%HPSECM@HPLABS.HP.COM

Paul,

>> I am just starting to use ftp, and I have a few questions:

>> 1.  How does it work?  I am currently trying to get into some
>> anonymous sites, and am experiencing the following difficulties:
 
>> a:  I will be connected to the site, some line noise or something
>> knocks me off, and then I can no longer connect to that  site.   I get
>> the following error:
          
>> ftp: connect: No route to host

It sounds not like "line noise", but rather that your local gateway goes
down or becomes unreachable (could be elsewhere, too, of course).

>> b:  Some sites I attempt connection to give me the error 
        
>> ftp: (site address):  Unknown host

>> Once I have been bounced off, I seem to get the first message above no
>> matter what machine I attempt to open.   Is it possible that getting
>> bounced screws things up on my machine for some undetermined amount of
>> time (say--to the next boot up)?

This would make sense, assuming that you were disconnected because the
destination became unreachable.

>> 2.    Is there another method of specifying the address of machine, 
>> rather than the Arpanet address (i.e., machine.university.edu)? In
>> some of the site lists, the give a bunch of numbers with  periods
>> (302.333.23.2349) that appear to be some kind of address. What is
>> this?

The basic internetwork delivery protocol is IP (Internet Protocol), which
identifies hosts via a 32-bit address.  The IP address is generally written
as four octets, thus: 129.133.10.10.  What you referred to as the "Arpanet
address" is a convenience provided by the domain name system, which maps
names onto IP addresses.  However, you cannot always rely on names, because
DNS has to be supported by name servers, which not all sites have.  A given
name you want to reach may have propagated far enough to be accessible; then
again, it may not have.  That's why people frequently give the IP address
as well.

If you're interested, you would find the various RFCs specifying TCP/IP and
associated protocols a good place to start for more specifics.


                                                Richard Silverman

arpa:	rsilverman@eagle.wesleyan.edu           Computing Center
bitnet:	rsilverman@wesleyan.bitnet              Wesleyan University
CIS:	[72727,453]                             Middletown, CT 06457