Semi-related problem I dealt with recently: Google Cloud seems to choose a different magic number of 1460 for their VPCs default MTU, which is annoying if you don't know because its different than the default of everything else (such as docker) will cause random packet drops if you do a standard install of those tools.
The bit about security is rather telling. I can remember in the early days of the internet almost every system on the internet had its telnet ports open. I would often telnet into my alma mater’s VAX systems from work to read Usenet news. I also had write access to system directories on the VAX that we used at work, which I never abused, but which in retrospect seems distressingly trusting. I have no idea how we qualified for ISO-9001 certification with that level of security.
At least there was a technical reason, even if it no longer makes sense. The ATM[1] protocol has a packet size of 48 bytes. Why? Because the US wanted 64 and france wanted 32. So a compromise was made that pleased no one and the standard used the average of the two, which of course isn't a power of 2.
I remember reading a comment on stack overflow on old 16 bit x86 architecture saying “any overly complicated feature of modern computing can be attributed to a time where the most powerful cpu available was weaker than the one currently residing inside your tv remote”.
This is similar to why booster rockets are a certain width — they needed to be moved by trains that went through tunnels carved by the Romans. Those tunnels were the width of two horses pulling a chariot.
Semi-related problem I dealt with recently: Google Cloud seems to choose a different magic number of 1460 for their VPCs default MTU, which is annoying if you don't know because its different than the default of everything else (such as docker) will cause random packet drops if you do a standard install of those tools.
Took me a few hours to figure this out.