Internet centralization and the original sin of NAT
This article explores the history of Network Address Translation (NAT) and how it has contributed to the centralization of the internet. It argues that NAT, while a necessary fix for IP address depletion, has hindered the original peer-to-peer vision of the internet.
Why it matters
It provides historical context for why modern internet architecture is dominated by servers and cloud providers rather than decentralized peer-to-peer connections.
In this comic, the concept of an ordinary person having a FTP server is quickly dismissed. And yes, it’s not common. To the average computer user, the idea that someone could just… connect to your computer feels exotic, or even dangerous — see the very common ironic fear of your IP address being known to other people on the internet.
If you take someone who’s “good with computers” but not a networking person, their mental model of The Internet probably involves a definition of “servers” or “the cloud” that distinguishes them from personal computers in some meaningful way. True peer‐to‐peer, if they ever think about it, is an endeavor: WebRTC, STUN, TURN, ICE, what have you. Given that we live in a world of NAT, CGNAT, and restrictive ISPs, this isn’t entirely wrong, but it breaks the elegant design of the original Internet.
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