How RFCs Work

RFCs are numbered based on when they were written, not by title or content. Occasionally, a group of related RFCs are all updated and posted at the same time. In this case, they are numbered sequentially. The simplest way to find an RFC on a particular subject is to open the RFC index in a word processor or a Web browser and search for a keyword.

For example, to find all RFCs related to RIP, search with the keyword RIP. Be sure to make your search case sensitive. Otherwise, you will get hits on words such as "postscript." Because the RFCs are indexed in the order in which they are written, you can search from the top of the index to find the latest versions first.

Whenever you are reading an RFC, look for a statement that says (Obsoleted by RFCxxx). If you see this statement, you are reading an outdated copy. When in doubt, always refer to a recent copy of the RFC index. It always indicates whether a newer revision of an RFC is available.