Who provides the "little" TCP services?
A survey listing which Internet hosts offered small TCP utility services like Echo, Discard, and Finger.
Smallberg, D., "Who provides the "little" TCP services?", RFC 848, DOI 10.17487/RFC0848, March 1983, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc848>.
@misc{rfc848,
series = {Request for Comments},
number = 848,
howpublished = {RFC 848},
publisher = {RFC Editor},
doi = {10.17487/RFC0848},
url = {https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc848},
author = {D. Smallberg},
title = {{Who provides the "little" TCP services?}},
pagetotal = 5,
year = 1983,
month = mar,
} RFC text
Network Working Group Dave Smallberg
RFC: 848 March 14, 1983
Who Provides the "Little" TCP Services?
(March 1983)
This report lists those hosts which provide any of these "little" TCP
services:
Port (in decimal) Service
----------------- -------
7 Echo
9 Discard
11 Active Users (systat)
13 Date and Time in printable form
15 Netstat
17 Quote of the Day
19 Character Generator (ttytst)
37 Time (32 bits)
79 Finger
The list of hosts was taken from the NIC hostname table of 24-Feb-83.
The tests were run on February 23 and 24, and March 3 and 5 from
ISI-VAXA.ARPA.
Active users (port 11) Date and time (port 13)
(7 hosts) (15 hosts)
Name Address Name Address
---- ------- ---- -------
gunter-adam 10.1.0.13 dcn1 128.4.0.1
usc-isi 10.1.0.22 dcn3 128.4.0.3
usc-isib 10.3.0.52 dcn5 128.4.0.5
usc-isic 10.2.0.22 dcn6 128.4.0.6
usc-isid 10.0.0.27 ford-eed 128.5.0.14
usc-isie 10.1.0.52 ford-ers 128.5.0.13
usc-isif 10.2.0.52 ford1 128.5.0.1
ford2 128.5.0.2
ford3 128.5.0.3
ford4 128.5.0.4
ndre1 48.3.1.41
umd1 128.8.0.1
umd3 128.8.0.3
umd5 128.8.0.5
usc-isic 10.2.0.22
Echo (port 7) Discard (port 9)
(38 hosts) (29 hosts)
Name Address Name Address
---- ------- ---- -------
ada-vax 10.0.0.52 ames-tss 10.0.0.16
ames-tss 10.0.0.16 bnl 10.1.0.58
bbn-rsm 10.4.0.82 dcn1 128.4.0.1
cca-unix 10.0.0.31 dcn3 128.4.0.3
cit-750 192.5.7.3 dcn5 128.4.0.5
cit-vax 10.1.0.54 dcn6 128.4.0.6
csnet-purdue 128.10.0.2 ford-eed 128.5.0.14
csnet-sh 10.1.0.94 ford-ers 128.5.0.13
dcn1 128.4.0.1 ford-wdl1 128.5.32.1
dcn3 128.4.0.3 ford-wdl6 128.5.32.6
dcn5 128.4.0.5 ford1 128.5.0.1
dcn6 128.4.0.6 ford2 128.5.0.2
ford-eed 128.5.0.14 ford3 128.5.0.3
ford-ers 128.5.0.13 ford4 128.5.0.4
ford-wdl6 128.5.32.6 hi-multics 10.0.0.80
ford1 128.5.0.1 ll 10.0.0.10
ford2 128.5.0.2 mit-multics 10.0.0.6
ford3 128.5.0.3 ndre1 48.3.1.41
ford4 128.5.0.4 radc-multics 10.0.0.18
hi-multics 10.0.0.80 sri-nic 10.0.0.73
mcclellan 10.3.0.78 ucla-ccn 10.1.0.1
mit-multics 10.0.0.6 umd1 128.8.0.1
ndre1 48.3.1.41 umd2 128.8.0.2
nyu 10.0.0.58 umd3 128.8.0.3
okc-unix 10.3.0.46 umd5 128.8.0.5
purdue 10.0.0.37 umd7 128.8.0.7
purdue-tn 14.0.0.1 usgs1-multics 10.0.0.68
radc-multics 10.0.0.18 usgs2-multics 10.0.0.69
sri-nic 10.0.0.73 usgs3-multics 10.0.0.70
ucla-ccn 10.1.0.1
umd1 128.8.0.1
umd2 128.8.0.2
umd3 128.8.0.3
umd5 128.8.0.5
umd7 128.8.0.7
usgs1-multics 10.0.0.68
usgs2-multics 10.0.0.69
usgs3-multics 10.0.0.70
Netstat (port 15) Quote of the day (port 17)
(21 hosts) (16 hosts)
Name Address Name Address
---- ------- ---- -------
dcn1 128.4.0.1 ames-tss 10.0.0.16
dcn3 128.4.0.3 dcn1 128.4.0.1
dcn5 128.4.0.5 dcn3 128.4.0.3
dcn6 128.4.0.6 dcn5 128.4.0.5
ford-eed 128.5.0.14 dcn6 128.4.0.6
ford-ers 128.5.0.13 ford-eed 128.5.0.14
ford1 128.5.0.1 ford-ers 128.5.0.13
ford2 128.5.0.2 ford-wdl6 128.5.32.6
ford3 128.5.0.3 ford1 128.5.0.1
ford4 128.5.0.4 ford2 128.5.0.2
gunter-adam 10.1.0.13 ford3 128.5.0.3
ndre1 48.3.1.41 ford4 128.5.0.4
umd1 128.8.0.1 ndre1 48.3.1.41
umd3 128.8.0.3 umd1 128.8.0.1
umd5 128.8.0.5 umd3 128.8.0.3
usc-isi 10.1.0.22 umd5 128.8.0.5
usc-isib 10.3.0.52
usc-isic 10.2.0.22
usc-isid 10.0.0.27
usc-isie 10.1.0.52
usc-isif 10.2.0.52
Character generator (port 19) Finger (port 79)
(19 hosts) (35 hosts)
Name Address Name Address
---- ------- ---- -------
dcn1 128.4.0.1 ada-vax 10.0.0.52
dcn3 128.4.0.3 aids-unix 10.2.0.56
dcn5 128.4.0.5 cca-unix 10.0.0.31
dcn6 128.4.0.6 cit-20 10.0.0.54
ford-eed 128.5.0.14 cit-750 192.5.7.3
ford-ers 128.5.0.13 cit-vax 10.1.0.54
ford-wdl6 128.5.32.6 csnet-purdue 128.10.0.2
ford1 128.5.0.1 csnet-sh 10.1.0.94
ford2 128.5.0.2 gunter-adam 10.1.0.13
ford3 128.5.0.3 hi-multics 10.0.0.80
ford4 128.5.0.4 jpl-vax 10.3.0.54
ndre1 48.3.1.41 lll-mfe 10.1.0.21
sri-nic 10.0.0.73 mit-ai 10.2.0.6
umd1 128.8.0.1 mit-ajax 18.10.0.64
umd2 128.8.0.2 mit-cls 18.10.0.76
umd3 128.8.0.3 mit-dms 10.1.0.6
umd5 128.8.0.5 mit-mc 10.3.0.44
umd7 128.8.0.7 mit-ml 10.3.0.6
usc-isic 10.2.0.22 mit-multics 10.0.0.6
nyu 10.0.0.58
purdue 10.0.0.37
purdue-tn 14.0.0.1
radc-multics 10.0.0.18
rutgers 10.2.0.58
sri-iu 10.3.0.73
sri-kl 10.1.0.2
usc-isi 10.1.0.22
usc-isib 10.3.0.52
usc-isic 10.2.0.22
usc-isid 10.0.0.27
usc-isie 10.1.0.52
usc-isif 10.2.0.52
utexas-20 10.1.0.62
wharton-10 10.3.0.24
wpafb-afwal 10.1.0.47
Time (port 37) Time (continued)
(60 hosts)
Name Address Name Address
---- ------- ---- -------
bbn-admin 3.1.0.6 ford-eed 128.5.0.14
bbn-cd 3.3.0.9 ford-ers 128.5.0.13
bbn-clxx 10.4.0.49 ford-wdl6 128.5.32.6
bbn-inoc 3.2.0.6 ford1 128.5.0.1
bbn-noc 3.1.0.14 ford2 128.5.0.2
bbn-unix 10.1.0.72 ford3 128.5.0.3
bbn-vax 10.1.0.82 ford4 128.5.0.4
bbna 10.3.0.5 hi-multics 10.0.0.80
bbncca 3.0.0.2 mit-ai 10.2.0.6
bbnccb 3.1.0.2 mit-dms 10.1.0.6
bbnccc 3.2.0.2 mit-mc 10.3.0.44
bbnccd 3.3.0.2 mit-ml 10.3.0.6
bbnccf 3.0.0.4 mit-multics 10.0.0.6
bbncci 3.3.0.4 ndre1 48.3.1.41
bbng 10.1.0.5 nlm-mcs 10.0.0.88
bbnp 3.2.0.4 radc-multics 10.0.0.18
bbnq 3.2.0.7 sri-nic 10.0.0.73
bbns 3.0.0.7 st-nic 10.0.0.51
bbnt 10.0.0.82 su-score 10.3.0.11
bbnw 3.3.0.6 umd1 128.8.0.1
bbnx 3.0.0.8 umd3 128.8.0.3
bbny 3.2.0.8 umd5 128.8.0.5
bbnz 3.1.0.7 usc-isi 10.1.0.22
brl 10.0.0.29 usc-isib 10.3.0.52
brl-bmd 10.3.0.29 usc-isid 10.0.0.27
brl-vld 192.5.21.2 usc-isie 10.1.0.52
dcn1 128.4.0.1 usc-isif 10.2.0.52
dcn3 128.4.0.3 usgs1-multics 10.0.0.68
dcn5 128.4.0.5 usgs2-multics 10.0.0.69
dcn6 128.4.0.6 usgs3-multics 10.0.0.70
AI ELI5
On this page
§1The Little TCP Services
RFC 848 surveys which hosts provide nine small TCP utility services defined in the early Internet standards. These services are simple, quick to test, and useful for network diagnosis and configuration. The services range from trivial (Echo simply echoes back what it receives) to informational (Finger shows logged-in users).
The nine services tested are: Echo (port 7), Discard (port 9), Active Users or systat (port 11), Date and Time in printable form (port 13), Netstat (port 15), Quote of the Day (port 17), Character Generator or ttytst (port 19), Finger (port 79), and a 32-bit binary Time service (port 37). The test period was 23-24 February and 3-5 March 1983, run from ISI-VAXA.ARPA against hosts in the NIC hostname table.
There are nine tiny programs that live on some computers. One repeats what you say, one throws away messages, one tells the time, one tells jokes—this survey says which computers run which ones.
§2Which Hosts Offered Which Services
The survey results show significant variation in service deployment. The Time service (port 37) was most widely implemented, with 60 hosts offering it. Echo appeared on 38 hosts, Discard on 29, Finger on 35, and Netstat on 21. Quote of the Day appeared on 16 hosts, Character Generator on 19, and Active Users on only 7. Date and Time (port 13) was offered by 15 hosts.
The results are presented in two formats: first grouped by service with lists of participating hosts, and then as a summary showing that different host types and network regions had different levels of service support. This snapshot shows how quickly and unevenly these small services were adopted across the early Internet.
The survey found 60 different computers saying the time, 38 echoing back, 35 showing who is logged in with Finger, and so on. Not every computer offers every service.
§3Service Deployment Summary
The wide variation in service support reflects the early stage of Internet standardization. Some services like Time and Echo were nearly universal, while others like Active Users saw adoption on only a handful of hosts. This variation tells the story of the early Internet, where implementers chose which services to support based on their own needs.
Different computers offered different services. This shows that people were still figuring out which services were useful.