Before Recitation

Read Chapter 2 of Dave Clark's book "Designing an Internet". Note that this chapter uses the term router where we will often use switch. (Routers and switches are technically different; in 6.1800, we don't worry about the differences.)

Question for Recitation: Before you come to this recitation, you'll turn in a brief answer to the following questions (really—we don't need more than a sentence or so for each question). Your TA will be in touch about exactly how to turn that in. Your answers to these questions should be in your own words, not direct quotations from the paper.

• The chapter makes reference to the "narrow waist" of the Internet. What does the narrow waist mean?
• Why do we need a narrow waist? (Or: do we need a narrow waist?)
• How does the idea of the narrow waist relate to the layered model of networks?

As always, there are multiple correct answers for each of these questions. For the last question especially, make an educated guess! It's okay if you don't know how this actually works yet.

During Recitation

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After Recitation