Services and Peerings

Services and Peerings

OmniPoP Services:

  • 100Gbps port on one of two Juniper MX10008 switches.
  • 2 X 100Gbps connection to Internet2, including access to the following services:
    • Research and Education - 2 X 100Gbps connection to Internet2 national network backbone (AL2S)
    • Commercial Peering Services - CPS is a service that provides direct connections to commercial Internet providers saving connectors costs related to connecting to the Internet.
    • Wiscnet Regional Internet Peering Service (2x 100Gbps)
    • Chicago dark fiber management: OmniPoP operates the collaboratively purchased Big Ten Academic Alliance Chicago Fiber Rings including coordinating cross-connects, vendor relations, fiber documentation and billing related to this fiber.  Global Research Network Operations Center (GRNOC) of Indiana University provides outstanding technical management of OmniPoP insuring strong network reliability and excellent performance.
    • Network consulting and custom services: Top engineers at each Big Ten Academic Alliance university who make up the OmniPoP Technical Advisory Council (TAC) work together to provide consulting to Big Ten Academic Alliance faculty and researchers interested in having connectivity through OmniPoP from their campus labs. Also custom services (e.g., separate VLANs) can also be explored with the TAC as well.
    • Reciprocal back-up of primary (Chicago) Internet2 connections through Great Plains Network (Kansas City): A collaborative partnership between OmniPoP and GPN provides OmniPoP members the opportunity to back-up their primary Internet2 connections and serves as a no-cost insurance policy against unforeseen Chicago network disruptions.

    OmniPoP Peerings (Interconnections):

    • Big Ten Network - The Big Ten Network is a joint venture between subsidiaries of the Big Ten Conference and Fox Cable Networks and was created to provide the conference with more national exposure for Big Ten sports. OmniPoP is the unique peer of the BTN.
    • ESnet - is a high-speed network connecting thousands of Department of Energy scientists, collaborators and their big science instruments (e.g., Large Hadron Collider) worldwide.
    • StarLight - based in Chicago, is the preeminent international connection point for high-performance research and education activity in the central United States. 
    • MREN - The Metropolitan Research and Education Network is a high-performance, broadband network in Chicago, IL.
    • BOREAS-Net - The Broadband Optical Research, Education and Science Network is a collaboration of four major research institutions in the upper Midwestern United States: Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
    • ICCN - The InterCampus Communications Network of the University of Illinois is a broadband network that serves its three campuses in Urbana, Chicago and Springfield.
    • I-Light and Indiana GigaPoP - Indiana GigaPOP and I-Light provide connectivity for all research and education networking needs to higher education institutions within the State of Indiana.
    • MiLR and Merit Network -  Michigan Innovation Network (formally Michigan LambdaRail, or MiLR) is a high-speed fiber data network built by the three public research universities in Michigan: University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University, and operated by Merit Network, the research, and education network for the state of Michigan.
    • Northern Lights GigaPoP - is an advanced regional networking initiative for research and education operated by the University of Minnesota.
    • OARnet - OARnet is the broadband network and services organization for the state of Ohio. It serves research, education and public service institutions including universities, colleges, K-12, hospitals, public broadcasting, and state and local government.
    • WiscNet - Wisconsin's Research and Education Network is a broadband network based in Madison that serves most of the colleges and universities in Wisconsin as well as most K12 school districts, library systems, the State of Wisconsin, many local and municipal governments, hospitals and non-profit affiliated organizations.