Re: Nuclear survivability (was: Cogent/Level 3 depeering)

[John Levine <johnl () iecc com>]

> I think Dave Reed should have just said to the reporter that the
> Internet survived 9/11 so well because it was largely a
> non-centralized network that does not depend on any kind of central
> traffic control. It's like a road network where every driver(packet)
> is free to detour around obstructions.

He should have given the the real reason: most of the Internet routers
were at the old WUTCO building at 60 Hudson St, a safe distance away
from the WTC, while the phone switches were across the street on West
St in a building that was severely damaged.  Swap those two buildings
and the myth would be that the phone system is robust and the Internet
is fragile.  The phone network reroutes pretty well when the switching
equipment that does the routing hasn't been smashed.

Regards,
John Levine, johnl () iecc com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies",
Information Superhighwayman wanna-be, http://www.johnlevine.com, Mayor
"I shook hands with Senators Dole and Inouye," said Tom, disarmingly.