IMO, network protocols are much more fun when you actually try to do something real with them.
/usr wrote: Indeed. Though I have never messed with them from a development standpoint, there is a huge difference in reading about them and even getting a packet sniffer to actually SEE what you're reading about.
jdmurray wrote: /usr wrote: Indeed. Though I have never messed with them from a development standpoint, there is a huge difference in reading about them and even getting a packet sniffer to actually SEE what you're reading about. Try playing around with packet crafter software and figuring out how to create one or more packets that'll crash a software service service, or the firmware of a firewall or router. You'd be surprised at how many services and devices do not validate that a packet's structure and data is correct before trying to use it. *BOOM!*