Netnod IX: 25 Years at the Core of the Internet
Netnod has published an article detailing the history, people, and technology behind one of Europe's earliest Internet Exchanges (IX).
Netnod is marking its 25th anniversary with a deep dive into the history of its Internet Exchange (IX). The article looks back at the Netnod IX, formerly D-GIX, tracing its technological evolution and highlighting the individuals who contributed to its development.
D-GIX, established in 1992 and one of Europe's first Internet Exchanges, began operation under Netnod in 1997. Torbjörn Carlsson, described as Netnod's first CEO, aimed to transition the organization from a virtual to a physical entity and establish physical hubs for the IX that could also offer services like DNS and NTP.
Former Netnod CEO Kurtis Lindqvist noted the unique challenge of building an IX infrastructure before data centers were common in Sweden, leading to the use of bunker locations. The exchange adapted to a commercializing market by focusing on business development and expanding its reach beyond the Nordics.
Technologically, the Netnod IX has progressed from early FDDI switches to DPT rings, and now utilizes DWDM technology with equipment from ADVA Optical Networking and Arista. The exchange is among the first to offer 400GE ports, interconnecting data centers within metropolitan regions with high-speed links.