[ih] Fw: Nit-picking an origin story

[Jack Haverty]

Fake hosts were purely software, i.e., part of the IMP program. IIRC 
they were accessed by using addresses that didn't exist as one of the 4 
IMP connectors where cables to host computers attached. One such "fake 
host" was the terminal attached to an IMP, enabling "chat" traffic 
between two engineers at IMP consoles.

Fake hosts had been quite useful for maintenance and operations of the 
ARPANET.   We plagiarized that idea as part of the work to make the 
Internet into a 24x7 operational service.  For example, see 
https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc864 for one of the "fake hosts" 
transported into the Internet environment.

Jack

On 8/16/25 12:46, Dave Crocker via Internet-history wrote:
> On 8/16/2025 12:06 PM, Alexander McKenzie via Internet-history wrote:
>> TTY Fake Host at UCLA
>
> Apologies but I don't know the details of 'fake host'.  Was this a 
> virtual construct inside the IMP or a special device attached to it?
>
> If the latter, then I'd think that -- for the purposes of historical 
> milestones -- it qualifies as sufficient to demonstrate end to end, 
> long haul networking.
>
> d/
>

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