I am looking for any and all research (and perhaps your comments), references, etc. regarding replacements for the TCP/IP protocol that do not require centralized authority structures (central authority to assign network numbers). Any links, comments, etc., appreciated.
Well, I don't think this is exactly what you were looking for, but the guys at JPL (NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab), along with Vince Cerf, are working on ways to extend the Internet throughout the solar system in an attempt to link space craft and (should it happen) human settlements in space to our little digital world. Lets face it, if you're going to be stuck in a tin can the size of a VW Bug for 18 months, eating only "rations" and not showering, you're gonna want access to the planets largest collection of Porn... um.. I mean... all of the deeply insiteful and intellectually enriching content found on the Internet... I THINK this is their site: http://www.ipnsig.org/ The one sentence background, as I understand it, is that they feel you can't run TCP/IP over interplanetary distances because the long latencies wouldn't jive well with the SYN/ACK nature of TCP. Eric :)