Internet Standard

An internet standard starts out as an internet proposal. It may then be published as an RFC (Request for Comments) memorandum. An RFC may consist of information such as a list of previous proposals and simple introductions to TCP/IP. An RFC that is intended to become an internet standard must endure a series of three development stages: a proposed standard, a draft standard and finally, an approved standard. These stages are collectively referred to as the standards track. If a specific RFC is part of a proposal by standards, it is officially proposed at the first stage. Next, organizations determine whether or not to implement the proposed standard. This requires three different implementations before the RFC becomes a standard. Some of the most essential standards for the internet and other TCP/IP-based systems focuses on Ethernet. This includes RFCs proposed for the encapsulation to IP datagrams and standards for using methods such as CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection).