Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

network byte order
     
         The order in which the {bytes} of a multi-byte
        number are transmitted on a network - most significant byte
        first (as in "{big-endian}" storage).  This may or may not
        match the order in which numbers are normally stored in memory
        for a particular processor.
     
        {(http://www.sun.com/realitycheck/headsup980803.html)}.
        {(http://www.hp.com/unixwork/whatsnew/fyi/bissue/aug98/article3.htm)}.
     
        (1998-11-15)