From the visionary packet-switching ideas of the 1960s to the post-exhaustion IPv4 market of today, the Internet’s history is a story of innovation, unexpected growth, and adaptation. This category dives into the pivotal moments, technical decisions, and evolutionary forces that shaped the global network we rely on today.

Why Internet History Matters Today
Understanding the past explains today’s realities: why IPv4’s 4.3 billion addresses seemed “enough” in the 1980s yet led to scarcity, why IPv6 (with its vast 340 undecillion addresses) adoption has been gradual despite predictions of rapid transition, and how NAT, transfers, leasing, and secondary markets keep IPv4 central even as networks grow exponentially.
Key drivers include:

Early design choices prioritizing simplicity over scale
Explosive growth from browsers, mobile, IoT, cloud, and AI
Policy evolution at IANA/RIRs and the shift to market-driven allocation
Ongoing coexistence of IPv4/IPv6 in dual-stack worlds

Core Topics Covered

ARPANET origins (1969 first message) to TCP/IP adoption (“flag day” 1983)
IPv4 specification (RFC 791, 1981) and early exhaustion warnings (late 1980s)
World Wide Web birth (1989–1991, Tim Berners-Lee at CERN) and browser boom (Mosaic 1993, Netscape)
NSFNET commercialization (1995) and rise of ISPs
IPv6 development (RFC 2460, 1998) and slow rollout amid NAT/CGNAT workarounds
Global IPv4 exhaustion timeline: IANA (2011), APNIC (2011), RIPE NCC (2019), ongoing secondary transfers
Key predictions vs. reality: “IPv4 doomsday” forecasts delayed by transfers, leasing, and efficient reuse (allocated pool ~3.687B in 2025, slight contraction)
Modern milestones: mobile Internet dominance, cloud/edge computing, satellite broadband, and IPv6 progress (e.g., ~40–50% in leading regions)

Whether you’re curious about foundational protocols, the “why” behind IPv4 scarcity, or how historical choices influence today’s brokerage and leasing strategies, these articles connect past events to present challenges. We draw from reliable sources like Geoff Huston’s annual reports, RIR stats, and classic RFCs for accurate, engaging insights.

Bookmark this category—Internet evolution continues, with IPv4’s legacy enduring far longer than anticipated. Revisit to see how yesterday’s decisions shape tomorrow’s networks.

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