In this special interview, I sit down with Radia Perlman — the visionary computer scientist and inventor of the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), often called the “Mother of the Internet.” Her groundbreaking work made modern Ethernet and switching possible, shaping the way every network operates today.

Radia shares her journey as a pioneer in networking, her reflections on how STP became a global standard, and her thoughts on why Layer 2 forwarding was always a compromise — and what the industry still gets wrong about it. We also look ahead at quantum-safe cryptography, CLNP vs. IP, and the future of protocols like QUIC.

🔑 What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How Radia invented Spanning Tree and why it was meant to be “just a temporary fix”
• Why network loops and misconfigurations are still a common cause of outages
• The missed opportunity of CLNP and what it could have meant for the Internet
• The realities (and misconceptions) around quantum computing and cryptography
• Radia’s candid thoughts on hype cycles like blockchain
• A preview of her keynote at SharkFest — bringing theory and practice together

👩‍💻 Beyond the protocols, Radia also reflects on her role as a trailblazer for women in technology, offering encouragement to the next generation of engineers and innovators.

Whether you’re a network engineer, a cybersecurity leader, or simply curious about the hidden foundations of the Internet, this conversation with Radia Perlman is packed with insights, lessons, and history you won’t find anywhere else.

👉 Follow the show for more conversations with the leaders shaping networking, cybersecurity, and disaster recovery worldwide.