ABSTRACT
This chapter considers reasons for the Internet’s success and the lessons that can be learned. The number of computing devices attached to the Internet has grown from a few dozen to billions. Traffic on the Internet has also grown exponentially. Meanwhile, both the basic design and Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol software technology has accommodated the increases. The Internet designers did not attempt to design a new type of network that filled all needs. Instead, the designers assumed that many types of networks would be used, and provided a flexible system that can interconnect a wide range of underlying network hardware. The point is that Internet technology was designed to accommodate almost any type of computer communication technology. Communication between two computers requires both to agree on the rules for communication. Much of the Internet’s success can be credited to a design that is open and vendor independent.
