[ih] "Subnet"

[Dave Walden]

Larry,

When I refer to the subnet, I mean the sets of IMPs, communications 
circuits between them, and the protocols they used to connect among 
themselves and to the hosts.  When I refer to the ARPANET, I mean the 
subnet with the host computers attached, using their host-host 
protocols to communicate over the subnet.  This was all when there 
was only one network, not like later with the Internet.  This is 
slightly confused between the TIP box had both an IMP and a host 
(handling terminals that communicated with other hosts on the network).

Dave

At 06:17 PM 5/10/2012, Larry Sheldon wrote:
>I have no useful credentials for any of the current discussion, but 
>I do have a question about the term "subnet" as has been used a 
>couple of times.
>
>The word interests me because I was at battle with people for their 
>use in the classless IP world (I was an administrator at a small school here).
>
>People with forever talk as if the subnet number was the third octet 
>in the dotted decimal representation of the IP address, and that 
>decisions could be made using that at the originating end or 
>anywhere in the middle.  I argued and still do that it is mostly a 
>useless datum and can not be known anywhere except on the leg 
>between the destination station ant the router talking to it.
>
>In the ARPANet discussion, what does "subnet" refer to?  It seems 
>like there must have been a bigger network that I don't know anything about.
>--
>Requiescas in pace o email           Two identifying characteristics
>                                         of System Administrators:
>Ex turpi causa non oritur actio      Infallibility, and the ability to
>                                         learn from their mistakes.
>ICBM Data:  http://g.co/maps/e5gmy        (Adapted from Stephen Pinker)


--
home address: 12 Linden Rd., E. Sandwich, MA 02537
home ph=508-888-7655; cell ph = 503-757-3137
email address:  dave at walden-family.com; website: 
<http://www.walden-family.com/bbn/>http://www.walden-family.com/bbn/