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episode 23 — Protocol Shorts: HTTP as an Application Bus.This is the debut of our "Protocol Shorts" series: fast-paced, high-density conversations with one or more expert guests centered around a common theme. In the "HTTP as an application bus" episode, we’re breaking down the tunneling renaissance—specifically the clever 'protocol-within-a-protocol' hacks that are changing the game.From hijacking H2 CONNECT to run full-duplex WebSockets, to the subtle ways we’re now nesting modern traffic inside older transports, we’re looking at how the network layer is being rewritten from the inside out.Learn more:https://grpc.io — Official gRPC website.https://grpc.io/docs/platforms/web/ — Overview of gRPC Webhttps://github.com/hyperium/tonic — Tonic, the most popular gRPC implementation in Rusthttps://developers.google.com/protocol-buffers — Protocol Buffers documentation explaining the IDL, encoding, and ecosystem behind gRPC.https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7540 — HTTP/2 specificationhttps://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/WebSockets_API — WebSockets API overview, including framing, duplex communication, and browser support.https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6455 — WebSocket protocol specification describing frames, ping pong, and connection upgrade.RamaIf you like this podcast you might also like our modular network framework in Rust: https://ramaproxy.orgChapters00:00 Welcome Lucio, 1st guest of this protocol shorts episode01:52 Understanding HTTP/2 and Metadata Frames05:32 Limitations of gRPC Web and Client Streaming08:28 Encoding Formats: Protobuf vs JSON11:18 gRPC in Browser Contexts14:16 The Future of gRPC with HTTP/3 and QUIC18:03 Introduction to Brecht, 2nd guest of this episode20:00 Understanding HTTP/2: Features and Use Cases26:34 Custom Protocols Over HTTP/231:52 Exploring WebSockets: Basics and Applications37:05 WebSockets: Advanced Use Cases and Multiplexing41:40 OutroNetstack.FMMore information: https://netstack.fm/#episode-23Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/29EetaSYCDReach out to us: hello@netstack.fmMusic for this episode was composed by Dj Mailbox. Listen to his music at https://on.soundcloud.com/4MRyPSNj8FZoVGpytj

episode 22 — Rust URL with Simon Sapin.In this episode of Netstack.fm, Simon Sapin discusses building the rust-url crate based on the WHATWG URL specification. He also highlights that IDNA support was integrated to handle internationalized domain names, which includes critical security checks to prevent phishing from "confusable" characters that look identical to users.Learn more:https://docs.rs/url — rust-url is an implementation of the URL Standard for the Rust programming languagehttps://docs.rs/idna — IDNA (Internationalizing Domain Names in Applications) and Punycodehttps://docs.rs/idna_adapter — unicode back end for the idna cratehttps://docs.rs/form_urlencoded — Parser and serializer for the application/x-www-form-urlencoded syntax, as used by HTML formshttps://docs.rs/percent-encoding — Percent encoding and decodinghttps://servo.org/ — official servo websitehttps://url.spec.whatwg.org/ — WHATWG URL Specificatonhttps://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc5890 — Internationalized Domain Names for Applications (IDNA) (RFC)https://exyr.org/ — official website of Simon SapinRamaIf you like this podcast you might also like our modular network framework in Rust: https://ramaproxy.orgChapters00:00 Intro00:50 Get to know Simon Sapin05:35 Origin of rust-url07:19 Implementing Specifications in Rust10:05 Understanding IDNA and Its Importance11:17 Origins of form-url / percent encoding crates12:36 The Role of Percent Encoding in URLs13:21 IDNA Crate Origin15:41 Challenges with IDNA and Usability30:13 unpacking the rust-url crate39:25 Understanding URL Specifications and Compatibility45:10 Url Crate Parser52:41 Surprising Insights into URL Implementation01:01:41 Final words01:14:07 OutroNetstack.FMMore information: https://netstack.fm/#episode-22Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/29EetaSYCDReach out to us: hello@netstack.fmMusic for this episode was composed by Dj Mailbox. Listen to his music at https://on.soundcloud.com/4MRyPSNj8FZoVGpytj

In this conversation, Tom Houlé, a key contributor in the Rust GraphQL ecosystem, delves into the evolution of GraphQL from its Facebook origins to a robust enterprise solution. He tackles technical issues like the N+1 problem and the benefits of persisted queries for performance and security. An exciting highlight includes his insights on GraphQL Federation, which streamlines microservices in Rust. Tom also discusses GraphQL's future as a self-documenting interface for LLMs, showcasing its potential in the evolving tech landscape.

episode 20 — Netstack.FM New Year Special, 2025 Wrap-Up.This New Year special reflects on the first nineteen episodes of netstack.fm, highlighting key lessons about networking, Rust, open source, and the people behind the protocols and systems that power the internet. It also looks at the evolution of the Rama framework and sets the stage for continued learning, collaboration, and new conversations in the year ahead.Learn more:https://github.com/plabayo/rama — rama repositoryhttps://github.com/plabayo/rama/discussions/782 — rama-0.3.0-alpha.4 releasehttps://ramaproxy.org/ — rama official websitehttps://ikorason.dev/posts/from-frontend-to-low-level-networking-my-journey-to-contributing-to-open-source — irfan's blog articleChapters00:00 Intro00:54 Introduction and Year In Review03:28 Insights from Guests and the 2025 episodes22:21 Rama Testimonials27:28 Rama in 202631:07 Closing Message32:07 OutroNetstack.FMMore information: https://netstack.fm/#episode-20Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/29EetaSYCDReach out to us: hello@netstack.fmMusic for this episode was composed by Dj Mailbox. Listen to his music at https://on.soundcloud.com/4MRyPSNj8FZoVGpytj

episode 19 — Firezone and Zero-Trust Network Security with Thomas Eizinger.In this episode of Netstack.fm, Glen talks with Thomas Eizinger from Firezone about designing a zero trust enterprise VPN built on top of WireGuard. They break down how modern VPNs work in practice, covering virtual network adapters, split tunneling, DNS interception, policy based access, and secure packet routing using WireGuard, ICE, and TURN relays.The discussion highlights how Firezone differs from legacy VPNs by focusing on performance, reliability, and minimal user friction, while also touching on the role of Rust and Elixir in Firezone’s architecture and the long term importance of IPv6 adoption.Learn more:https://github.com/firezone/firezone — Firezone main repositoryhttps://github.com/firezone/firezone/tree/main/rust/relay/ebpf-turn-router — Firezone eBPF in kernel relay routerhttps://www.firezone.dev/kb/architecture/critical-sequences#detailed-connection-setup — Firezone Connection Setuphttps://www.wireguard.com/papers/wireguard.pdf — WireGuard whitepaperhttps://github.com/firezone/boringtun — Firezone fork of boringtun user space WireGuardhttps://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8656 — TURN RFC 8656https://x.com/firezonehq — Firezone on Xhttps://x.com/oetzn — Thomas Eizinger on Xhttps://hachyderm.io/@wheezle — Thomas Eizinger on Mastodonhttps://github.com/thomaseizinger — Thomas Eizinger on GitHubRamaIf you like this podcast you might also like our modular network framework in Rust: https://ramaproxy.orgChapters00:00 Intro00:42 Introduction to Thomas Eizinger05:19 Firezone's Turn implementation11:00 Understanding VPNs and Firezone's Approach29:27 Legacy VPNs vs. Firezone: A New Era of Networking36:19 Firezone is opensource37:27 Zero-Trust VPNs40:28 What is WireGuard43:36 Firezone's Integration with WireGuard50:19 Handling Connection Failures58:00 Geolocation and Relay Selection01:04:45 Elixir Developer Experience (DX)01:10:19 IPv6 Adoption and Future Considerations01:15:03 OutroNetstack.FMMore information: https://netstack.fm/#episode-19Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/29EetaSYCDReach out to us: hello@netstack.fmMusic for this episode was composed by Dj Mailbox. Listen to his music at https://on.soundcloud.com/4MRyPSNj8FZoVGpytj

Fabien Sanglard, a software engineer and technical writer at Google, dives into curiosity-driven engineering. He discusses the evolution of game networking, revealing how latency affected early multiplayer design. Fabien contrasts the architectures of classic games like Doom and Quake, highlighting Quake's groundbreaking client-server model. He emphasizes the importance of documentation and diagrams in understanding technology. Additionally, he shares insights on adopting Rust for reliability in modern code and the iterative nature of ADB's development.

episode 17 — Early Web History and Interlisp with Larry Masinter.We sit down with internet pioneer and longtime IETF contributor Larry Masinter to revisit the origins of many technologies developers use every day. From his early days at Xerox PARC to co-authoring foundational RFCs on HTTP, URIs, and more, Larry shares first-hand stories that connect the early web to the world we build in now. The conversation also explores his current passion project: reviving the Interlisp environment as a living historical system.Learn more:https://larrymasinter.net/ — Official website from Larry Masinterhttps://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2616 — RFC 2616 – HTTP/1.1 Specificationhttps://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc3986 — RFC 3986 – URI Generic Syntaxhttps://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2324 — RFC 2324 – Hypertext Coffee Pot Control Protocolhttps://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2732 — RFC 2732 – Literal IPv6 Addresses in URLshttps://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-masinter-dated-uri — Draft: the 'tdb' and 'duri' URI schemes, based on dated URIshttps://interlisp.org — The Interlisp Revival ProjectRamaIf you like this podcast you might also like our modular network framework in Rust: https://ramaproxy.orgChapters00:00 Intro00:34 Introduction to Larry Masinter05:32 The Intellectual Environment at Xerox PARC06:49 The Interlisp Project and Its Impact10:05 Transitioning to Document Servers and HTTP12:02 Resources, Gopher and the Early Web15:45 Why did HTTP succeed where Gopher faded away20:56 Larry's Involvement in Web Standards and Protocols25:11 Reviving Interlisp post-pandemic27:13 interlisp.org, 5 years later32:57 The Tradition of April 1st RFCs33:51 Invention of Hypertext Coffee Pot Control Protocol (1998)37:04 The Invention of HTCPCP40:55 Exploring URI Schemes47:58 Form-Based File Upload49:12 The Politics of Web Standards01:05:12 The Evolution of Web Protocols01:05:53 Developing in the Interlisp Environment01:14:03 Goals of the Interlisp Revival Project01:23:39 Collaborations and Future Aspirations01:25:09 OutroNetstack.FMMore information: https://netstack.fm/#episode-17Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/29EetaSYCDReach out to us: hello@netstack.fmMusic for this episode was composed by Dj Mailbox. Listen to his music at https://on.soundcloud.com/4MRyPSNj8FZoVGpytj

Martin Algesten, a Rust developer and maintainer of WebRTC libraries, dives into the intricacies of WebRTC, tracing its roots to 1990s research. He explains why UDP is essential for real-time media but also complex. The conversation then shifts to the Sans‑IO design, highlighting its advantages for clean protocol implementations in Rust. Martin shares insights on his WebRTC stack, str0m, and discusses the challenges with DTLS integration and testing. This insightful discussion bridges modern protocol design with practical programming experiences.

Edward Wang, a Cloudflare engineer specializing in the Rust-based Pingora proxy framework, joins the discussion alongside Noah. They dive into why Cloudflare transitioned from NGINX to Pingora, emphasizing its modular design and enhanced caching capabilities. Key topics include dynamic traffic handling, connection reuse strategies, and the power of gRPC support. Edward and Noah also explore performance optimizations, TLS backend configurations, and the benefits of using Tokio runtimes in modern networking. Their insights reveal the intricacies of developing high-performance proxies.

Episode 14 – Roto And Cascade with Terts and Arya from NLnet Labs.In this episode we have a conversation with Terts and Arya from NLnet Labs. Together we explore their paths into systems programming, the mission of NLnet Labs, and the critical internet infrastructure the organization maintains. The discussion spans DNSSEC, large scale DNS operations, Rotonda, and the Roto scripting language, with deep dives into performance engineering, zero copy design, and building resilient open source networking software. It is a technical episode that highlights the people and ideas behind essential internet protocols.Learn more:https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/ — NLnet Labs websitehttps://github.com/NLnetLabs/cascade — A friendly DNSSEC signing solutionhttps://indico.dns-oarc.net/event/55/contributions/1186 — slides of conference talk introducing Cascadehttps://github.com/NLnetLabs/rotonda — Modular, programmable BGP Enginehttps://github.com/NLnetLabs/roto — strongly-typed, compiled embedded scripting language for Rusthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xJEFPlfy7Y — EuroRust 2025 talk by Terts on Rotohttps://docs.rs/domain/latest/domain/new/base/wire/index.html — domain's zerocopy modulehttps://bal-e.org/blog/ — Blog from Aryahttps://2026.rustweek.org/ — RustWeek 2026 (with open CFP until EOY 2025)RamaIf you like this podcast you might also like our modular network framework in Rust: https://ramaproxy.orgChapters00:00 Intro01:14 Backgrounds of Terts and Arya10:37 Overview of NLnet Labs17:43 Understanding DNSSEC25:29 The Role of Cascade in DNSSEC41:06 Understanding Roto and Rotonda45:55 The Evolution of Roto's Scripting Language49:34 Integration and Efficiency in Roto52:05 Real-World Applications of Roto01:00:36 The Importance of Data Structures in Performance01:06:34 Optimization Strategies for High Performance01:17:14 Zero-Copy Techniques in DNS Handling01:26:06 OutroNetstack.FMMore information: https://netstack.fm/#episode-14Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/29EetaSYCDReach out to us: hello@netstack.fmMusic for this episode was composed by Dj Mailbox. Listen to his music at https://on.soundcloud.com/4MRyPSNj8FZoVGpytj