How your Internet connection works

{short description of image} Your Internet connection starts with the Colorado Internet Cooperative Association, located in Boulder.
{short description of image} Our connection to the Colorado Internet Cooperative Association is by means of NeTrack, also located in Boulder. NeTrack encapsulates Internet packets into frame relay frames and sends them toward O&L on a T1 line.
{short description of image} The connection to NeTrack is by means of a frame relay T1 data line. Here is part of the T1 equipment, located in O&L's telco room in Dillon.
{short description of image} The connection to the T1 line is by means of O&L's Adtran TSU (T-1 service unit), located in O&L's Dillon office.
{short description of image} The high-speed data line from the TSU is connected to O&L's Cisco router by means of a V.35 cable. The router opens the frame relay frames and extracts the Internet packets. The packets are encapsulated in ethernet packets. This is also located in O&L's Dillon office.
{short description of image} From the Cisco router, your connection goes via 10base-T ethernet to O&L's Cabletron managed ethernet switch, in O&L's Dillon office.
{short description of image} From the switch, your connection goes via 10base-T ethernet to O&L's AP-10 microwave access point, in O&L's Dillon office. The access point removes the Internet packets from the ethernet packets and encapsulates them in 802.11 microwave packets.
{short description of image} From the AP-10, the Internet packets are sent via 802.11 protocol to O&L's 16-decibel antenna that is pointed toward Ruby Ranch. The antenna is on one of the decks at O&L's Dillon office.
{short description of image} The microwave signal is picked up by O&L's 24-decibel antenna, located at Ruby Ranch Lot 20, that is pointed toward Dillon
{short description of image} The microwave signal goes to O&L's WB-10 wireless bridge which removes the Internet packets from the 802.11 packets and re-encapsulates them into 10base-T ethernet packets. This is also at Ruby Ranch Lot 20.
{short description of image} From the bridge, the Internet data pass via ethernet through O&L's Linksys ethernet hub, at Ruby Ranch Lot 20.
{short description of image} From the hub, the Internet data pass to the Coop's Netopia router, which encapsulate the data as 2B1Q SDSL data. This is also at Ruby Ranch Lot 20.
{short description of image} The Netopia router is connected by a subloop to the Cross-connect box at Emerald and Ruby Roads.
{short description of image} The Coop's buried cable connects to the barn, and there to the protector.
{short description of image} From the protector, the DSL data pass to the Coop's DSLAM. The DSLAM routes the data to the appropriate port, re-encapsulates the data as DSL data, and sends the data.
{short description of image} We use a Siecor COSB16S1W02L central office splitter to combine the ADSL signal with your POTS dial tone.
{short description of image} At your home we use a Siecor Outdoor POTS Splitter to separate the ADSL and voice signals.
{short description of image} For ADSL subscribers, from the splitter the connection goes to an Alcatel Speed Touch Home ADSL modem, and from there via 10base-T ethernet to your computer.
{short description of image} For SDSL subscribers, from the DSLAM the connection goes via 2B1Q SDSL to an SDSL modem, and from there via 10base-T ethernet to your computer.