nanog mailing list archives
Outside plant protection, fiber cuts, interwebz down oh noes!
From: Charles Wyble <charles () thewybles com>
Date: Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:04:16 -0700
Seriously though I want to start some discussion around outside plant protection. This isn't the middle of the ocean or desert after all.
There were multiple fiber cuts in a major metropolitan area, resulting in the loss of critical infrastructure necessary to many peoples daily lives (though twitter stayed up so it's all good). :) It would appear that this was a deliberate act by one or more individuals, who seemed to have a very good idea of where to strike which resulted in a low cost, low effort attack that yielded significant results.
So allow me to think out loud for a minute....1) Why wasn't the fiber protected by some sort of hardened/locked conduit? Is this possible? Does it add extensive cost or hamper normal operation?
2) Why didn't an alarm go off that someone had entered the area? It was after business hours, presumably not in response to a trouble ticket, and as such a highly suspicious action. Does it make sense for these access portals to have some sort of alarm? I mean there is fiber running through and as such it could carry the signaling. Would this be a massive cost addition during construction?
3) From what I understand it's not trivial to raise a manhole cover. Most likely can't be done by one person. Can they be locked? Or were the carriers simply relying on obscurity/barrier to entry?
Current thread:
- Outside plant protection, fiber cuts, interwebz down oh noes! Charles Wyble (Apr 09)
- Re: Outside plant protection, fiber cuts, interwebz down oh noes! Jim Popovitch (Apr 09)
- RE: Outside plant protection, fiber cuts, interwebz down oh noes! Rod Beck (Apr 09)
- Re: Outside plant protection, fiber cuts, interwebz down oh noes! Charles Wyble (Apr 09)
- Re: Outside plant protection, fiber cuts, interwebz down oh noes! jamie rishaw (Apr 09)
- Re: Outside plant protection, fiber cuts, interwebz down oh noes! Mike Lewinski (Apr 09)
- Re: Outside plant protection, fiber cuts, interwebz down oh noes! Aaron Glenn (Apr 09)
- Re: Outside plant protection, fiber cuts, interwebz down oh noes! Charles Wyble (Apr 09)
- Re: Outside plant protection, fiber cuts, interwebz down oh noes! Ravi Pina (Apr 09)
- Re: Outside plant protection, fiber cuts, interwebz down oh noes! JC Dill (Apr 09)
- Re: Outside plant protection, fiber cuts, interwebz down oh noes! Ravi Pina (Apr 09)
- Re: Outside plant protection, fiber cuts, interwebz down oh noes! deleskie (Apr 09)
- Re: Outside plant protection, fiber cuts, interwebz down oh noes! JC Dill (Apr 09)