Dave Taht, Who Sped Up Networks More Than You’ll Ever Know, Has Died
Dave Taht, LinkedIn profile photo.
I don’t recall when I first met Dave Taht. It may have been at an InterOp conference in the 80s when it was the best-ever networking conference or at a science-fiction convention — Philcon? Balticon? — around the same time.
Whether it was when he was talking about TCP/IP networking or playing filk music — folk music meets science fiction, he was a great character and a great guy.
Whether you met him or not, you know his work. Dave was a visionary network engineer, musician, and Internet activist. He passed away on April 1, 2025, at 59. His legacy in network technology is profound, leaving behind a world with faster, more reliable internet connectivity.
Born in Ocean City, New Jersey, Dave was a graduate of Rutgers University. He co-founded the Bufferbloat Project with Jim Gettys, focusing on reducing Internet latency and improving network performance.
His work on advanced queuing algorithms like FQ-CoDel and Common Applications Kept Enhanced (CAKE) significantly enhanced network efficiency, making these technologies part of the default networking stack in many Linux distributions, the popular open source embedded router operating system, OpenWRT, iOS, and macOS.
He also played a crucial role in shaping internet standards through his involvement in the IETF AQM and Packet Scheduling working group. In every case, his goal was always the same: “To rip out all the excess latency out of the internet.” He did a fine job of it.
Dave was also the CEO of TekLibre and was Chief Science Officer at LibreQoS. His contributions extended beyond technology; he was a passionate advocate for open source software and open access research. He lectured at prestigious institutions like MIT and Stanford, sharing his insights on network queuing and latency.
He was also a member of the Commons Conservancy board of directors. This group provides open source projects with an easy-to-use framework for their non-profit organizations.
Playing filk music.
Dave’s impact on society was immense. His work enabled millions to access reliable video calls, bridging distances and fostering connections worldwide. His dedication to open source technology ensured that his contributions remained accessible to everyone, improving lives silently yet profoundly.
He wanted, ultimately, to speed up the internet so that a drummer in London could play in real-time with a guitarist in Los Angeles and a singer in Hong Kong.
We may not be there yet, but as Eric S. Raymond, one of open source’s founders and early leading lights, said of him,” His work on mitigating bufferbloat improved practical TCP/IP performance tremendously, especially around video streaming and other applications requiring low latency.
Without him, Netflix and similar services might still be plagued by glitches and stutters.”
He’s right. Goodbye, Dave. Thank you for all you did and for being one of the good guys.
