When TCP was first invented, was the initial sequence number required to be random?












3














In current time, when a TCP connection is initiated, the initial sequence number is required to be random.



But I am wondering, when TCP was first invented, was the initial sequence number required to be random, or was this requirement added later?










share|improve this question







New contributor




user11455 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
















  • 2




    When TCP was invented, security considerations were unlikely an issue, as at the time there was no concern about adversarial agents.
    – Leo B.
    2 hours ago
















3














In current time, when a TCP connection is initiated, the initial sequence number is required to be random.



But I am wondering, when TCP was first invented, was the initial sequence number required to be random, or was this requirement added later?










share|improve this question







New contributor




user11455 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
















  • 2




    When TCP was invented, security considerations were unlikely an issue, as at the time there was no concern about adversarial agents.
    – Leo B.
    2 hours ago














3












3








3







In current time, when a TCP connection is initiated, the initial sequence number is required to be random.



But I am wondering, when TCP was first invented, was the initial sequence number required to be random, or was this requirement added later?










share|improve this question







New contributor




user11455 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











In current time, when a TCP connection is initiated, the initial sequence number is required to be random.



But I am wondering, when TCP was first invented, was the initial sequence number required to be random, or was this requirement added later?







history






share|improve this question







New contributor




user11455 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question







New contributor




user11455 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question






New contributor




user11455 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









asked 6 hours ago









user11455

161




161




New contributor




user11455 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





New contributor





user11455 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






user11455 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.








  • 2




    When TCP was invented, security considerations were unlikely an issue, as at the time there was no concern about adversarial agents.
    – Leo B.
    2 hours ago














  • 2




    When TCP was invented, security considerations were unlikely an issue, as at the time there was no concern about adversarial agents.
    – Leo B.
    2 hours ago








2




2




When TCP was invented, security considerations were unlikely an issue, as at the time there was no concern about adversarial agents.
– Leo B.
2 hours ago




When TCP was invented, security considerations were unlikely an issue, as at the time there was no concern about adversarial agents.
– Leo B.
2 hours ago










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















2














It is not actually required that the TCP initial sequence number be random. It would be more correct to say that it is chosen arbitrarily, or to put it another way, that there is no rule specifying how the starting value must be chosen. This means that it can start at 0 for every connection, or at any other number. That same starting value can be used for every new connection, or a new value may be chosen for each one.



For security reasons it's a good idea to choose an actual random value for every individual connection, but there is no actual requirement that it must be done this way.






share|improve this answer





















    Your Answer








    StackExchange.ready(function() {
    var channelOptions = {
    tags: "".split(" "),
    id: "648"
    };
    initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

    StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
    // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
    if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
    StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
    createEditor();
    });
    }
    else {
    createEditor();
    }
    });

    function createEditor() {
    StackExchange.prepareEditor({
    heartbeatType: 'answer',
    autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
    convertImagesToLinks: false,
    noModals: true,
    showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
    reputationToPostImages: null,
    bindNavPrevention: true,
    postfix: "",
    imageUploader: {
    brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
    contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
    allowUrls: true
    },
    noCode: true, onDemand: true,
    discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
    ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
    });


    }
    });






    user11455 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.










    draft saved

    draft discarded


















    StackExchange.ready(
    function () {
    StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fretrocomputing.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f8605%2fwhen-tcp-was-first-invented-was-the-initial-sequence-number-required-to-be-rand%23new-answer', 'question_page');
    }
    );

    Post as a guest















    Required, but never shown

























    1 Answer
    1






    active

    oldest

    votes








    1 Answer
    1






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes









    2














    It is not actually required that the TCP initial sequence number be random. It would be more correct to say that it is chosen arbitrarily, or to put it another way, that there is no rule specifying how the starting value must be chosen. This means that it can start at 0 for every connection, or at any other number. That same starting value can be used for every new connection, or a new value may be chosen for each one.



    For security reasons it's a good idea to choose an actual random value for every individual connection, but there is no actual requirement that it must be done this way.






    share|improve this answer


























      2














      It is not actually required that the TCP initial sequence number be random. It would be more correct to say that it is chosen arbitrarily, or to put it another way, that there is no rule specifying how the starting value must be chosen. This means that it can start at 0 for every connection, or at any other number. That same starting value can be used for every new connection, or a new value may be chosen for each one.



      For security reasons it's a good idea to choose an actual random value for every individual connection, but there is no actual requirement that it must be done this way.






      share|improve this answer
























        2












        2








        2






        It is not actually required that the TCP initial sequence number be random. It would be more correct to say that it is chosen arbitrarily, or to put it another way, that there is no rule specifying how the starting value must be chosen. This means that it can start at 0 for every connection, or at any other number. That same starting value can be used for every new connection, or a new value may be chosen for each one.



        For security reasons it's a good idea to choose an actual random value for every individual connection, but there is no actual requirement that it must be done this way.






        share|improve this answer












        It is not actually required that the TCP initial sequence number be random. It would be more correct to say that it is chosen arbitrarily, or to put it another way, that there is no rule specifying how the starting value must be chosen. This means that it can start at 0 for every connection, or at any other number. That same starting value can be used for every new connection, or a new value may be chosen for each one.



        For security reasons it's a good idea to choose an actual random value for every individual connection, but there is no actual requirement that it must be done this way.







        share|improve this answer












        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer










        answered 3 hours ago









        Ken Gober

        7,48612038




        7,48612038






















            user11455 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.










            draft saved

            draft discarded


















            user11455 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.













            user11455 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.












            user11455 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
















            Thanks for contributing an answer to Retrocomputing Stack Exchange!


            • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

            But avoid



            • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

            • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


            To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.





            Some of your past answers have not been well-received, and you're in danger of being blocked from answering.


            Please pay close attention to the following guidance:


            • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

            But avoid



            • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

            • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


            To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




            draft saved


            draft discarded














            StackExchange.ready(
            function () {
            StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fretrocomputing.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f8605%2fwhen-tcp-was-first-invented-was-the-initial-sequence-number-required-to-be-rand%23new-answer', 'question_page');
            }
            );

            Post as a guest















            Required, but never shown





















































            Required, but never shown














            Required, but never shown












            Required, but never shown







            Required, but never shown

































            Required, but never shown














            Required, but never shown












            Required, but never shown







            Required, but never shown







            Popular posts from this blog

            A CLEAN and SIMPLE way to add appendices to Table of Contents and bookmarks

            Calculate evaluation metrics using cross_val_predict sklearn

            Insert data from modal to MySQL (multiple modal on website)