| Q: What is Internet2? |
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A: Internet2 is a not-for-profit consortium, led by over 200 U.S. Universities, developing and deploying advanced network applications
and technology, accelerating the creation of tomorrow's Internet. With participation by over 60 leading companies, Internet2
recreates the partnership of academia, industry and government that helped foster today's Internet in its infancy. Internet2
is a project of the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID).
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| Q: Is Internet2 a separate network? |
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A: Internet2 has a separate very high-speed backbone, named the Abilene network, connecting all the member institutions together.
All Internet2 members in Ohio connect to the Ohio GigaPoP in Columbus, which is connected directly to the Abilene network.
Because of the high speed of BGSU's campus netork, we are able to share our Internet2 connection across the campus network
and provide every computer on campus with access to Internet2.
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| Q: Will Internet2 replace the current commercial Internet? How is the commercial sector involved in Internet2? |
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A: Internet2 will not replace the Internet. Rather its goal is to develop technology that will enhance the current Internet.
Universities maintain, and continue to experience substantial growth in use of, existing Internet connections, which they
still obtain from commercial providers.
The commercial sector is a full partner in this project, and will benefit from applications and technology developed by Internet2
members. Just as the World Wide Web is the legacy of earlier investments in academic and federal research netowrks, the legacy
of Internet2 will be technology adopted not only by universities, but also by the commercial sector.
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| Q: Who is the commercial internet provider for BGSU? |
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A: Ohio Academic Resources Network (OARnet) is the service provider for BGSU.
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| Q: What do I need to do in order to access Internet2 at BGSU? |
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A: A: All computers on campus that are connected to the campus network are connected to Internet2. If you are sending network
traffic between BGSU and another site that is connected to Internet2, that traffic will be routed over BGSUs Internet2 connection.
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| Q: How can I determine which other universities have an Internet2 connection? |
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A: A listing of universities with Internet2 connections is available at http://members.internet2.edu/university/universities.cfm
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| Q: How much bandwidth does BGSU have? |
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A: The OC-3 has 155 Mb total bandwidth, we are leasing 96 currently.
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| Q: How is BGSU's current bandwidth divided between Internet1 and Internet2 usage? |
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A: Internet1 capability is up to 51Mb of available bandwidth and Internet2 capability is up to 45Mb of available bandwidth.
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| Q: Who do I contact if I have questions about using Internet2 at BGSU? |
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A: Questions may be directed to Internet2@bgnet.bgsu.edu
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| Q: How will Internet2 benefit current Internet users? |
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A: The investments by universities in Internet2, coupled with the efforts of industry and government, are helping to develop
technologies such as IPv6, multicasting, and Quality-of-Service that will enable a new generation of Internet applications,
benefiting all sectors of the society. However, these applications require performance not possible on today's Internet. More
than a faster Web or email, these new technologies will enable completely new applications such as digital libraries, virtual
laboratories, distance-independent learning and tele-immersion. A primary goal of Internet2 is to ensure the transfer of new
network technology and applications to the broader education and networking communities. The wisdom of this approach to network
research has been proven by the rise of today's Internet from the academic and federal research networks of the 1980s.
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| Q: What are considered to be "Internet2 Applications"? |
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A: Internet2 applications are applications that can make a difference in how teaching, learning, and research happen in higher
education. Internet2 applications require advanced network functionality such as high bandwidth, low latency (delay), or multicast
- not available on commercial Internet connections.
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| Q: Why are universities taking the lead in Internet2? |
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A: Universities are uniquely qualified to pursue the goals of Internet2 because they encompass both the demand for the types
of applications Internet2 will develop and the supply of talent needed to implement the project. University leading-edge research
and education missions increasingly require collaboration of personnel and hardware located at campuses throughout the country.
These are exactly the types of tasks Internet2 applications seek to enable. At the same time, the pool of computer-networking
talent and expertise at Internet2 member universities is unsurpassed. Universities have had a long history of developing advanced
research networks and putting them to work. This combination of needs and resources provides a perfect setting for developing
the next generation of Internet capabilities.
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| Q: What about educational institutions that are not Internet2 members? |
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A: Participation in Internet2 is open to any university that commits to providing on-campus facilities that will allow advanced
applications development. The investment this requires may be more than many institutions can manage right now. However, Internet2
also supports collaboration by Internet2 universities with non-member institutions. Fifteen years ago, connecting to the Internet
could be as expensive as participating in Internet2 today. As the technology dropped in price, the entire academic community
benefited from the efforts of the initial research participants. Deployment of Internet2 technology will follow a similar
pattern.
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| Q: What are other Internet2 applications developers doing? |
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A: Applications are highlighted on the Internet2 applications web site http://apps.internet2.edu.
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| Q: What are some sources for funding Internet2 application development? |
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A: Some funding resources are:
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| Q: What if my colleagues are faculty at universities outside the U.S.? Can I still use Internet2 networks to build applications? |
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A: Increasingly the answer is yes, you can use advanced networks to collaborate with colleagues around the world. There are
national research network efforts similar to Internet2 around the world. Internet2 has signed agreements (memoranda of understanding)
with over 30 such organizations with the objective of working together on both connectivity and applications. Internet2 doesn't
provide connectivity directly to those countries, but many of them connect to the U.S. (some with support from the National
Science Foundation). Details on Internet2's international activities can be found at http://www.internet2.edu/international. For information about networks that connect to the U.S., visit the StarTap website at http://www.startap.net
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| Q: What are some of Internet2's long-term goals? |
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| A: A key goal of this effort is to accelerate the technology transfer necessary to move the appropriate technologies into the
commercial sector--thus creating the basis of a next generation network. Internet2 will also share its discoveries with others
in the educational community -- K-12, libraries and other institutions. Internet2 is developing structures to share its experience
and expertise with others in the education community and beyond. This is the approach that characterized the first Internet
and it can work again today.
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