If you're advocating for the introduction of variable-length IP addresses then it would have been a nightmare - packet-switching is often done in hardware and that level of complexity would have only added trouble.
Any harder than implementing IPv6 in hardware? I'm talking about an adjustment that would keep older machines talking to older addresses, whilst newer machines could implement extended IPv4, for example. From my potential ignorance, I'm not sure how that would be more difficult?
I think it's theoretical of course, I don't believe there is a reserved bit in the IPv4 range.
I think it's theoretical of course, I don't believe there is a reserved bit in the IPv4 range.