In this episode of The Anycast, Matt talks to Thomas Daly, an experienced technologist and the CEO of Big Network, a connectivity platform that securely connects networks and services between people, places, clouds and devices.

They discuss where the edge of the internet is located, why DynDNS is still operational, and what Google’s announcement about egress fees means for cloud consumers. 

• Tom, a New Hampshire tech guru, shares his journey from the late '90s working as a managed service provider to establishing firms that focus on scaling technology and business growth. 
• Tom breaks down the difference between a physical network and a logical network. 
• According to Matt, it’s fiduciarily irresponsible to not build on the cloud if you’re starting a startup from zero.
• How people feel about you is based on how you made them feel on day one and how you made them feel on the last day. 
• Matt believes it’s crucial for service providers to give their customers a great experience the day they sign up and the day they part ways. 
• Why is DynDNS still operational? According to Tom, if DynDNS were to go away tomorrow, the global IP video surveillance business would crumble.
• Tom talks about the importance of efficient networking and the benefits of delivering resilient connectivity solutions for your customers.
• Tom and Matt define the edge of the internet. They agree that the edge is an abstract term for the point where a service provider gains or loses control over the routing policy based on user topology.
• Tom goes through the pros and cons of working in the networking space. 
• Matt and Tom discuss the internet supply chain, emphasizing how a problem for any provider affects the entire internet user experience. 
• They explore the common components provided by cloud providers and the potential drawbacks of building solely on the cloud.
• Tom shares his thoughts on the financial aspects of networking, from cloud credits, egress fees, and Google's decision to waive egress fees for users leaving their platform. 
• Tom questions the practical impact of egress fee waivers and how the charges discourage companies from transferring data to other cloud providers or on-premise systems.
• The discussion emphasizes the diverse opportunities in the industry. Some providers will focus on offering unlimited bandwidth, while others focus on services like space, power, compute, and storage.
• Tom reveals the impressive arsenal in his home lab, which includes three cabinets, dedicated air conditioning, a 16 KVA UPS, a Kohler propane generator, a Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro, and numerous other networking equipment.
• Matt and Tom discuss the evolution of internet speeds, reminiscing on the transition from 2400 Baud modems to the modern high-speed connections with 1000+ megabits per second.
• For Tom, space, power, cooling, and connectivity are all required to have a functional data center environment. Every player in that ecosystem will optimize and maximize different dimensions of that four-legged stool.  

Mentioned in This Episode:

Tom Daly on LinkedIn

Bignetwork.com

Oxide Computer Company