secure tcp ports

Guess I can't lurk forever...

While it may be inelegant to simply double the number of ports for
security, it probably won't actually cause any serious insurmountable
problems in the future. An application-level protocol or scheme
for negotiation up to SSL/TLS will forever cause compatibility and
interoperability problems.

Saying "it's easy" to come up with a universal scheme to allow this
kind of negotiation is naive.  In reality, it's probably impossible.

As applications warrant it, we should either decide to assign a
separate port for secure communications, or come up with a single-port
scheme if the original protocol makes it possible. 

I'd like to suggest that telnet be an application that should have a
separate port.



Bill O'Donnell   billo@netcentric.com  billo@server.net     me@billo.com
NetCentric Corp  17 Msgr O'Brien Hwy   Cambridge, MA 02142

Received on Thursday, 6 February 1997 12:35:38 UTC