RFC References for Network Engineers
Essential networking RFCs every infrastructure engineer should know.
Request for Comments (RFC) documents define the protocols the internet runs on. This table collects the ones infrastructure engineers reference most: private and special-use addressing (RFC 1918, 6598, 5737), subnetting (RFC 4632), DNS (RFC 1035), DHCP (RFC 2131), NTP (RFC 5905), BGP (RFC 4271), syslog (RFC 5424), and the IPv6 addressing suite.
| RFC | Title | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| RFC 1918 | Address Allocation for Private Internets | Private IP ranges (10/8, 172.16/12, 192.168/16) |
| RFC 5737 | IPv4 Address Blocks Reserved for Documentation | Documentation IPs (192.0.2/24, 198.51.100/24, 203.0.113/24) |
| RFC 6598 | IANA-Reserved IPv4 Prefix for Shared Address Space | CGNAT range (100.64.0.0/10) |
| RFC 3927 | Dynamic Configuration of IPv4 Link-Local Addresses | APIPA / link-local (169.254.0.0/16) |
| RFC 4632 | Classless Inter-domain Routing (CIDR) | CIDR notation and subnetting |
| RFC 952 | DoD Internet Host Table Specification | Original hostname rules; updated by RFC 1123 |
| RFC 1123 | Requirements for Internet Hosts | Host naming rules (alphanumeric + hyphen) |
| RFC 4291 | IPv6 Addressing Architecture | IPv6 address formats, scopes, and special addresses |
| RFC 4193 | Unique Local IPv6 Unicast Addresses | IPv6 ULA (fd00::/8) |
| RFC 4862 | IPv6 Stateless Address Autoconfiguration | SLAAC |
| RFC 5424 | The Syslog Protocol | Syslog standard |
| RFC 1035 | Domain Names – Implementation and Specification | DNS protocol |
| RFC 2131 | Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol | DHCP |
| RFC 5905 | Network Time Protocol Version 4 | NTPv4 |
| RFC 4271 | A Border Gateway Protocol 4 (BGP-4) | BGP standard |
More Reference
Explore the other reference in the toolkit.
RFC 1918 Private IP Ranges
RFC 1918 defines the private IPv4 ranges 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, and 192.168.0.0/16. See each range, host count, and common use.
Common TCP & UDP Ports
Reference list of common TCP and UDP ports: SSH, DNS, HTTP, HTTPS, SMTP, NTP, DHCP, SNMP, RDP, and more, with protocols and descriptions.
Fiber Connector Types
Reference guide to fiber optic connector types: LC, SC, ST, FC, MPO/MTP, and E2000 with polish, return loss, and typical use.
Ethernet Standards (IEEE 802.3)
Reference table of IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standards: 1000BASE-T, 10GBASE-T, 10GBASE-SR/LR, 25G, 40G, 100G, and 400G with media and distances.
Reserved & Special-Use IP Addresses
Reference table of special-use IPv4 ranges: loopback, link-local (APIPA), CGNAT, TEST-NET documentation ranges, multicast, and broadcast.
Cable Color Codes (TIA-606)
TIA-606 cable color codes for structured cabling: blue for horizontal cabling, orange for demarcation, purple for common equipment, and more.
Transceiver Form Factors
Reference table of optical transceiver form factors: SFP, SFP+, SFP28, QSFP+, QSFP28, QSFP-DD, CFP2, XFP, and CXP with speeds and distances.
WiFi Standards (IEEE 802.11)
Reference table of WiFi standards: 802.11b through 802.11be (Wi-Fi 1 to Wi-Fi 7) with maximum speeds, frequencies, and release years.
Power Connectors & Receptacles
Reference table of data center power connectors: NEMA 5-15P, L6-30P, IEC C13/C14, C19/C20, IEC 60309, Schuko, and BS 1363 with amp and voltage ratings.
Device Naming Conventions
Standard network device naming convention: use a <site>-<role>-<number> pattern. See examples for switches, firewalls, servers, and stack members.
Interface & Port Naming
How to standardize network interface names across vendors: Cisco IOS, Juniper Junos, and NX-OS/AOS-CX conventions with examples.
VLAN & Subnet Naming
Best practices for VLAN naming: descriptive names like SRV-PROD and GUEST-WIFI paired with documented VLAN IDs and subnets.