Request For Comments summary notes: 700-799
An annotated index to 100 RFCs from the early internet era, 1980-1982.
Postel, J. and J. Vernon, "Request For Comments summary notes: 700-799", RFC 800, DOI 10.17487/RFC0800, November 1982, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc800>.
@misc{rfc800,
series = {Request for Comments},
number = 800,
howpublished = {RFC 800},
publisher = {RFC Editor},
doi = {10.17487/RFC0800},
url = {https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc800},
author = {J. Postel and J. Vernon},
title = {{Request For Comments summary notes: 700-799}},
pagetotal = 10,
year = 1982,
month = nov,
} RFC text
Network Working Group J. Postel
Request for Comments: 800 J. Vernon
ISI
November 1982
Requests For Comments Summary
Notes: 700-799
This RFC is a slightly annotated list of the 100 RFCs from RFC 700
through RFC 799. This is a kind of status report on these RFCs.
RFC Author Date Title
--- ------ ---- -----
799 Mills Sep 81 Internet Name Domains
A suggestion that, as the internet grows, the space of host names
cannot remain a flat space of globally unique names, and that a
hierarchy of name domains be introduced; see also RFC 822.
798 Katz Sep 81 Decoding Facsimile Data From the
Rapicom 450
A description of the encoding/decoding procedure for Rapicom450
facsimile machine.
797 Katz Sep 81 Format for Bitmap Files
The description of a simple file format for bitmap data.
796 Postel Sep 81 Address Mappings
A description of the way the addresses of a few actual networks are
mapped into internet addresses.
795 Postel Sep 81 Service Mappings
A description of how the internet type of service is mapped into the
actual service parameters of a few particular networks, and vice
versa.
794 Cerf Sep 81 Pre-Emption
Discusses how pre-emption of TCP connection can be implemented.
Replaces IEN 125.
793 Postel Sep 81 Transmission Control Protocol
The specification of TCP. Replaces RFCs 761 and 675.
792 Postel Sep 81 Internet Control Message Protocol
The specification of ICMP. Replaces RFCs 777 and 760.
791 Postel Sep 81 Internet Protocol
The specification of IP. Replaces RFC 760.
790 Postel Sep 81 Assigned Numbers
The list of numbers assigned for networks, protocols, etc. Replaces
RFCs 776, 770, 762, 758, 755, 750, 739, 604.
789 Rosen Jul 81 Vulnerabilities of Network Control
Protocols: An Example
A description of an outage in ARPANET service and the process of
determining the cause; also, subtleties of designing network
protocols.
788 Postel Nov 81 Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
An old version; see RFC 821.
787 Chapin July 81 Connectionless Data Transmission
Survey/Tutorial
A discussion of datagram service. Intended for submission to
international standards bodies.
786 Sluizer July 81 Mail Transfer Protocol: ISI TOPS20
MTP-NIMAIL Interface
The description of the way mail is passed between the MTP and the
NIMAIL programs in ISI TOPS20. Outdated.
785 Sluizer July 81 Mail Transfer Protocol: ISI TOPS20
File Definitions
The description of the file format for passing mail to the MTP program
from user mail programs in ISI TOPS20. Outdated.
784 Sluizer July 81 Mail Transfer Protocol: ISI TOPS20
Implementation
The description of the program structure for the MTP implementation in
the ISI TOPS20. Outdated.
783 Sollins June 81 The TFTP Protocol Revision 2
The specification of TFTP. Replaces RFCs 768, 764 and IEN 133.
782 Nabielsky undated A Virtual Terminal Management Model
A description of the elements of a virtual terminal and the management
of communications between them.
781 Su May 81 A Specification of the Internet
Protocol IP Timestamp Option
The description of IP Timestamp option, now included in the IP
specification (RFC 791).
780 Sluizer May 81 Mail Transfer Protocol
An outdated Mail protocol; see RFC 821.
779 Killian Apr 81 TELNET SEND-LOCATION Option
Definition of this Telnet option.
778 Mills 18 Apr 81 DCNet Internet Clock Service
Specifies a format and procedure for the exchange of messages to
maintain synchronized clocks.
777 Postel Apr 81 Internet Control Message Protocol
An old version; see RFC 792.
776 Postel Jan 81 Assigned Numbers
An old version; see RFC 790.
775 Mankins Dec 80 Directory Oriented FTP Commands
The definition of additional FTP Commands related to directory
management.
774 Postel Oct 80 Internet Protocol Handbook Table of
Contents
An out-of-date table of contents for an Internet Protocol Handbook.
773 Cerf Oct 80 Comments on NCP/TCP Mail Service
Transition Strategy
A discussion of issues in the transition from NCP to TCP, particularly
as related to MAIL Service.
772 Sluizer Sep 80 Mail Transfer Protocol
An old version of a Mail Protocol; see RFC 821.
771 Cerf Sep 80 Mail Transition Plan
A plan for supporting mail service in the transition from NCP to TCP;
see also RFC 801.
770 Postel Sep 80 Assigned Numbers
An old version; see RFC 790.
769 Postel 26 Sep 80 Rapicom 450 Facsimile File Format
The definition of the exchange format of the encoded facsimile data of
the Rapicom 450; see also RFC 798.
768 Postel 28 Aug 80 User Datagram Protocol
The specification of the UDP.
767 Postel Aug 80 A Structured Format for Transmission
of Multi-Media Documents
The definition of the format for the document of a multimedia message.
766 Postel Jul 80 Internet Protocol Handbook
An out-of-date table of contents for the Internet Protocol Handbook.
765 Postel Jun 80 File Transfer Protocol
The specification of FTP.
764 Postel Jun 80 Telnet Protocol Specification
The specification of Telnet.
763 Abrams 7 May 80 Role Mailboxes
A call for mailboxes with role names, such as "Management".
762 Postel Jan 80 Assigned Numbers
An old version; see RFC 790.
761 Postel Jan 80 DOD Standard Transmission Protocol
An old version; see RFC 793.
760 Postel Jan 80 DOD Standard Internet Protocol
An old version; see RFC 791.
759 Postel Aug 80 Internet Message Protocol
The definition of the protocol and format for the exchange of
multimedia mail. Replaces RFC 753.
758 Postel Aug 79 Assigned Numbers
An old version; see RFC 790.
757 Deutsch 10 Sep 79 A Suggested Solution to the Naming,
Addressing, and Delivery Problem for
ARPANET Message Systems
Discusses several proposals for handing the name to address to route
processing for computer mail. Favors a solution based on unique-ids
and a data base, see also RFCs 759, 821 and 822.
756 Pickens Jul 79 The NIC Name server--A Datagram-Based
Information Utility
Describes a Host Name to Address look up service.
755 Postel 3 May 79 Assigned Numbers
An old version; see RFC 790.
754 Postel 6 Apr 79 Out-of-Net Host Addresses for Mail
A discussion of options for addressing computer mail beyond the
ARPANET.
753 Postel Mar 79 Internet Message Protocol
An old version; see RFC 759.
752 Crispin 3 Jan 79 A Universal Host Table
Describes the host table used at MIT and Stanford. This has several
extensions and generalizations from the NIC standard and the table
used by most Tenex and TOPS20 hosts.
751 Lebling 10 Dec 78 Survey of FTP Mail and MLFL
A survey of hosts' responses to probes of their FTP servers to see if
servers (a) accept mail for unknown users and (b) support the MAIL and
MLFL commands.
750 Postel 26 Sep 78 Assigned Numbers
An old version; see RFC 790.
749 Greenberg 18 Sep 78 Telnet SUPDUP-OUTPUT Option
Updates RFC 736; see also RFCs734, 746 and 747.
748 Crispin 1 Apr 78 TELNET RANDOMLY-LOSE Option
Defines this Telnet option (note the date of this memo).
747 Crispin 21 Mar 78 Recent Extensions to the SUPDUP
Protocol
An update to the SUPDUP protocol (RFC 734); see also RFCs 749, 746 and
736.
746 Stallman 17 Mar 78 The SUPDUP Graphics Extension
An extension of SUPDUP for Graphics; see also RFCs 734, 736, 747 and
749.
745 Beeler 30 Mar 78 JANUS Interface Specifications
The specification of a symmetrical 1822 style interface.
744 Sattley 8 Jan 78 MARS - A Message Archiving and
Retrieval Service
The description of a database service for computer mail messages,
which operates via computer mail.
743 Harrenstien 30 Dec 77 FTP extension: XRSQ/XRCP
An extension to FTP mail to allow more efficient transmission of
computer mail. Now incorporated into SMTP; see RFC788.
742 Harrenstien 30 Dec 77 NAME/FINGER Protocol
Defines the Name or Finger Protocol which allows one to get "who is
on" or "where is user x" information from another host.
741 Cohen 22 Nov 77 Specifications for the Network Voice
Protocol NVP
Defines the protocol used in the ARPANET packet speech experiments.
740 Braden 22 Nov 77 NETRJS Protocol
Defines the protocol used for Remote Job Entry on the UCLA CCN IBM
system; replaces RFCs 599 and 189.
739 Postel 11 Nov 77 Assigned Numbers
An old version; see RFC 790.
738 Harrenstien 31 Oct 77 Time Server
Defines the Time Server Protocol; see IEN 142 for the TCP and VDP
versions.
737 Harrenstien 31 Oct 77 FTP Extension: XSEN
An extenion to the Mail procedures. This function is incorporated in
the SMTP; see also RFC 821.
736 Crispin 31 Oct 77 TELNET SUPDUP Option
Defines the procedure for negotiating to use the SUPDUP, protocol as a
TELNET option; see also RFCs 734, 746, 747 and 749.
735 Crocker 3 Nov 77 Revised TELNET Byte Macro Option
Obsoletes 40306
Defines a Telnet option for assigning codes to stand for strings in
Telnet connections. Replaces RFC 729.
734 Crispin 7 Oct 77 SUPDUP Protocol
Description of a terminal control protocol used at STANFORD and MIT;
see also RFCs 736, 746-749.
733 Crocker 21 Nov 77 Standard for the Format of ARPA Network
Text Messages
Specification of the format for the headers of computer mail. An old
version; see RFC 822.
732 Day 12 Sep 77 TELNET Data Entry Terminal Option
The specification of a Telnet Option for the control of a data entry
display terminal. Replaces RFC 731.
731 Day 27 Jun 77 TELNET Data Entry Terminal Option
An old version; see RFC 732.
730 Postel 20 May 77 Extensible Field Addresing
Discusses some ideas on addressing that come up in the context of
changing from 8-bit to 24-bit network addresses.
729 Crocker 13 May 77 TELNET Byte Macro Option
An old version; see RFC 735.
728 Day 27 Apr 77 A Minor Pitfall in the Telnet Protocol
Warns of the possibility of an unexpected occurence in Telnet
resulting from the interaction between option subnegotiations and the
telnet SYNCH operation.
727 Crispin 27 Apr 77 TELNET Logout Option
Defines a telnet option for causing a logout.
726 Postel 8 Mar 77 Remote Controlled Transmission and
Echoing Telnet Option
Defines a Telnet option for controlling the transmission and echoing
of data to smooth the response to use in high transmission delay
environments; see also RFCs 719 and 718.
725 Day 1 Mar 77 An RJE Protocol for a Resource Sharing
Network
Describes a possible Remote Job Entry protocol.
724 Crocker 12 May 77 Proposed Official Standard for the
Format of ARPA Network Messages
An old version; see RFC 822.
722 Haverty 16 Sep 76 Thoughts on Interactions in Distributed
Services
A discussion on the design of interactive distributed services and the
kinds of primitive operations that are needed.
721 Garlick 1 Sep 76 Out of Band Control Signals in a Host
to Host Protocol
A discussion of the control signals in transport protocols (e.g.,
NCP's Interrupt or TCP's Urgent).
720 Crocker 5 Aug 76 Address Specification Syntax for
Network Mail
A discussion of computer mail addresses, with comments on real names
vs. mailboxes, and mailing lists; see also RFC 819.
719 Postel 22 Jul 76 Discussion on RCTE
A short discussion of RCTE implementation issues; see also RFCs 726
and 718.
718 Postel 30 Jun 76 Comments on RCTE from the TENEX
Implementation Experience
A short note on the Tenex implementation of RCTE; see also RFCs 726
and 719.
717 Postel 1 Jul 76 Assigned Network Numbers
An old version; see RFC 790.
716 Levin 24 May 76 Interim Revision to Appendix F of BBN
1822
A short note updating the specification of the very Distant Host 1822
interface.
714 McKenzie 21 Apr 76 A Host/Host Protocol for an
ARPANET-type Network
A specification of a NCP-like protocol for an ARPA-like network.
Interesting to compare to the NCP specification to see what the author
would do differently.
713 Haverty 6 Apr 76 MSDTP -- Message Services Data
Transmission Protocol
The specification of a set of Data Primitives for building interactive
services.
712 Donnelley 5 Feb 76 A Distributed Capability Computing
System DCCS
A description of a Distributed Capability based computing system.
708 White 5 Jan 76 Elements of a Distributed Programming
System
A description of a Distributed programming system; see also RFC 707.
707 White 23 Dec 75 A High-Level Framework for
Network-Based Resource Sharing
A description of a programming environment for network-based programs;
see also RFC 708.
706 Postel 8 Nov 75 On the Junk Mail Problem
A short note pointing out that the ARPANET maybe subject to a "denial
of service" attack by a misbehaving host.
705 Bryan 5 Nov 75 Front-End Protocol
Describes a protocol used between a PDP-11 (the ARPANET front end) and
a B6700 to support network communication.
704 Santos 15 Sep 75 IMP/Host and Host/IMP Protocol Change
Describes the changes to the 1822 interface to eliminate the
restriction of 63 IMPs.
703 Dodds 11 Jul 75 Survey of New-Protocol Telnet Servers
A poll of Telnet servers to check implementation status and Telnet
options. Updates RFCs 702, 701, 679 and 669.
702 Dodds 25 Sep 74 Survey of New-Protocol Telnet Servers
An earlier poll of Telnet server implementation status; see also
RFC's703, 701, 679, and 669.
701 Dodds Aug 74 Survey of New-Protocol Telnet Servers
An earlier poll of Telnet server implementation status; see also RFCs
703, 702, 679 and 669.
700 Mader Aug 74 A Protocol Experiment
Describes a protocol based loosely on a very early version of TCP,
used to send data to a printer server.
AI ELI5
On this page
§1What This RFC Is
RFC 800 is a slightly annotated list of 100 RFCs, from RFC 700 through RFC 799. It functions as a status report on those documents, giving readers a bird's-eye view of what was published during that period. Each entry includes the RFC number, the author's name, the date, the title, and a brief note about the content.
This kind of summary document became a useful tool in the early RFC series. As the number of documents grew, readers needed a way to discover which ones were relevant without reading through every page.
This paper is a list of a hundred earlier papers, with short notes about what each one says. You can use it to find papers about topics you care about.
§2The RFCs Covered: 700-799
The RFC series numbered 700 to 799 spans the period from 1979 to 1982, a formative time for the ARPANET and early Internet. The documents in this range address fundamental technologies: TCP and UDP, IP routing, Telnet and terminal protocols, mail systems, and network management. They also include less formal documents: meeting notes, surveys of which hosts support which protocols, and discussions of emerging problems like network congestion and security.
Some RFCs in this range obsolete earlier ones (for example, RFC 793 replaced RFC 761 as the TCP specification), documenting the gradual refinement of core standards.
These a hundred papers from 1979 to 1982 cover everything people were building for the internet: mail, file transfer, remote terminals, and how to route data around networks.
§3Core Topics You'll Find
The RFCs listed in RFC 800 fall into a few major categories. Core protocols include TCP (RFC 793), UDP (RFC 768), ICMP (RFC 792), and IP (RFC 791)—the essential protocols still in use. Application protocols cover Telnet (RFC 764), FTP (RFC 765), SMTP (RFC 788), and the Domain Name System proposal (RFC 799). The range also includes administrative and planning documents: assigned numbers registries, protocol standards discussions, and implementation notes.
The annotations in RFC 800 are terse but informative, often noting whether a document revises an earlier RFC or points readers toward a newer version. This makes the document useful both as a historical record and as a guide to which specifications were current at that time.
The papers cover how to send data reliably, how to send quick messages without guarantees, how to look up names, and how to run a mail service. Some papers say 'don't use the old one anymore, use this new one instead.'
§4A Snapshot of Protocol Development
RFC 800 captures a moment when the TCP/IP protocols were solidifying into their final early form. References within the document point to replaced standards: RFC 777 and 760 are both older versions that RFC 792 (ICMP) and RFC 791 (IP) supersede. This reflects the way the Internet Standards process works: early drafts circulate, discussion happens, and revised versions are published.
The RFCs included also show the breadth of work happening across ARPANET: not just protocols themselves, but the infrastructure to support them—from 1822 interface specifications (for the ARPANET IMP-host connection) to attempts at graphics protocols and virtual terminals. By listing them all, RFC 800 serves both as an index and as a historical record of what was on people's minds in 1980-1982.
RFC 800 shows what everyone was working on in 1980-1982. Some of it, like TCP and email, became hugely important. Some of it, like some of the graphics proposals, didn't catch on.
§5Using This Index
Readers encountering RFC 800 in 1982 or shortly after could use it as a finding aid: want to know about a new protocol for file transfer? Look up the 760s and 770s for FTP, and RFC 800 would point you to RFC 765. Unsure whether an old specification is still current? The annotations often note when a newer version exists.
For later readers, RFC 800 is primarily a historical reference. It shows what was considered important enough to document at that point in the Internet's development, and the entry for each RFC is often more concise than opening the full document. It remains useful for historians, implementers tracing the evolution of standards, and anyone curious about what the early Internet looked like.
In 1982, you could use this to find papers about topics you needed. Today it's like looking at a snapshot of what people cared about forty years ago.