The Everything Feed - All Packet Pushers Pods TNO052: Internet History with Len Bosack
Dec 12, 2025
Len Bosack, co-founder of Cisco Systems and CEO of XKL, shares his fascinating journey from mathematician to tech pioneer. He describes his groundbreaking work on multi-protocol routers, ARPANET connections, and the early days of networking at Stanford. Len discusses the commercialization of routers and the evolution of internet standards, all while stressing the importance of mentoring future engineers. He also touches on the challenges of modern optical networking and the implications of AI on the tech landscape.
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From Mathematician To Network Engineer
- Len Bosack moved from mathematics to computers because jobs were scarce and engineering offered work.
- At DEC and Stanford he built fast network interfaces and learned networking from ARPANET users.
Stanford's Early Router Experiment
- Stanford's networking work used Xerox Alto cards and led to making a switch and early routers.
- Their first router ran the PUP protocol before IP dominance emerged.
Research To Market Momentum
- Demand from other researchers convinced Len to commercialize Stanford router work despite initial reluctance.
- ARPA encouraged commercialization as part of its mission to move tech into the marketplace.