Question

So my question is, would it be possible to write a protocol which does the same as the Internet Protocol, and if so, how do I get started? And don’t say, “isn’t the Internet Protocol good enough?”, yes it is, it is just to see if it is possible:P

I would like to know a bit more about how,
just for learning how protocols are done. I have some experience in programming, but not anything like networking protocols.

Answer 1

The short answer is yes — it has been done, and could be done again.

Examples of what have been done include DECnet, NetBIOS, Appletalk, and ATM. Although I’m not sure it was ever fully implemented as intended (though DECNet came pretty close), the standard OSI 7-layer model for networking was originally intended as a model of actual implementation (i.e., the intent was that people would implement those layers, and you’d be able to build a fully network stack by plugging together the implementation of your choice of each layer).

Of course, what most of us think of as IP today is really IPv4 — as you can probably guess from the version number, it had predecessors (and a successor, IPv6).

Edit: as to how you do it: pretty much like anything else. I’d start by writing up something about your motivation — what you want to accomplish, what sorts of operations it should support, etc. Then start working on the simplest design you can figure out that can possibly do what you want. Then, as you use it and encounter problems, figure out whether they stem from poor implementation, or shortcomings in the design itself. Modify one or both as needed, trying to keep its evolution as coherent and understandable as possible.