Before we start looking at how the IP standard has evolved from its inception to the widely adopted IPv4, and now on to IPv6, we first have to understand what the standard is and how it's distinct from the transport layer protocols that we've looked at. This is critical to cementing our understanding of the OSI network stack, as IP is fundamental to the operation of transport layer protocols that operate over the internet. So, let's figure out just what IP is designed for, how it accomplishes its design goals, and what sort of features it enables for network software and hardware.
The IP standard
The origins of IP
Originally implemented as a packet transmission mechanism in the earliest version of the TCP, IP...
