🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <3pfouo$89f@skipper.surenet.net>,
Nathan Stratton <nathan@novanet.com> wrote:
>Scott Huddle (huddle@mci.net) wrote:
>: >We are a NSP, and we use linux on all of our servers. We also provide 
>: >access to other ISP's in the area, and we try to get them to also use 
>: >Linux. If you want more info on NovaNet, send email to me or 
>: >sales@novanet.com.

I would think security would be an issue with Linux - that is the one 
drawback i have seen is as it is in continual development new security 
holes seem to pop up - or even created by the developers intentionally 
for whatever reason there is no controll over accountability.

>: I could be wrong, but I thought NSP was a term applied by the National
>: Science Foundation for ISPs that provided inter-regional connectivity
>: and connection to multiple NAPs.

I think that is the NSF - the NSF contracts out to MCI to 
provide a high-speed r&d network called the vBNS - the vBNS is not 
directly part of the Internet although it does have gateways to the 
Internet at NAP (Network Access Points).  vBNS is designed primarily to 
connect super computers.

The old NSF backbone was run by Merit (in MI) and is no longer in service 
effective this month.  It is replaced by NAP's where commercial ISP/NSP's 
interconnect at peering points.

>: All NSPs are ISPs, but only a few (3) are NSPs.  Is that right?

ISP and NSP are just nameing conventions they mean the same thing.  The 
only real distinction is if you are a peer level ISP - a peer 
level ISP peers with other ISP's at the NAP's - eg. they dont pay each 
other for tranist but rather mutually agree to exchange traffic and no 
one uses default routes they only point traffic to another peer if its 
destined to got here. Peering usually requires access to multiple NAPs 
and a national backbone (eg an existing national WAN). 

>Well ther are many more then 3. We are multihomed, are peering with 
>several regionals, have a 10 meg connection into MAE-East (well, in about 
>10 days), and provide access to several other ISP's. I would say net99 is 
>a NSP just as we are, you not not need to connect with ALL the naps. 

You can connect to any NAP's you want the question is will other ISP/NSP's 
allow you to peer with them.  Most national providers have criteria 
before they agree to become peers with you, some more difficult then others.

/stb


-- 
---
Stephen Balbach  "Driving the Internet to Work"
VP, ClarkNet
info@clark.net