ietf isn wg presentation1 terri peters internet school networking

IETF ISN WG Presentation 1

Terri Peters

Internet School Networking


General Description• The Internet School Networking Group,

ISN, was formed to address the diverse problems that primary and secondary schools may face in getting connected

to the Internet and those problems that they may run into after they are connected.

• The ISN provides a link between the schools and the Internet engineering community in order to fulfill the needs of the schools.

• The ISN also gives guidance, via documents, to the schools on problems they are experiencing with getting connected to the Internet.


For More Information:

• www.ietf.org/html.charters/ isn-charter.html

• To subscribe to the ISN mailing list, send an e-mail to: [email protected] In the body of the message: subscribe isn-wg Your_Email


Finished Work

• RFC that gives directions on how to connect to the Internet. This was a joint project with the User Documents Revisions Working Group.

• RFC that advises about an “Acceptable Use Policy” (information about the availability of materials on the Internet & the advisability of protecting children from gaining access to certain sites, e-mail privacy issues, and many other issues like these)


Finished Work (Continued)

• Set up a form that will be used in an on-line database that includes information on people involved in education that are also involved in networking. Defined a process of collecting and updating the information.


RFC DescriptionRFC 1709:

(K-12 Internetworking Guidelines)

• intended to provide a technical direction for schools which have traditionally not had technical staff available to provide internetworking services• Lists advantages of using TCP/IP in a school-wide network (eg. simplicity, flexibility, and compatibility)

• Suggestions for building a network in a school: 1) integrate existing computers

into the network


2) create a LAN within each building or cluster of buildings, place at least one server within each LAN and connect the LAN to a central area such as the district office3) use ethernet when possible since it is faster and relatively cheap to implement4) recommended topology is a star5) recommended wiring is UTP; have a qualified data wiring contractor do this and have him wire every possible place that a computer might go in the future; may want to consider installing RG-59 coaxial cable for future use with video signals

RFC 1709 Continued


RFC 1709 Continued

6) acquire Internet services through the most economical and reliable service in your area (DUH!)7) and the list of suggestions goes on and on for 25 pages

• Basically, this document was written for someone with at least a basic knowledge of networking. So, while the document is pretty thorough about its suggestions on how to set up a network, the average “Joe” shouldn’t be handed this document and be expected to come up with a working network on his own.


Goals for the future

• With an ISP, establish several documents that will help schools get online.

• Establish a directory of educational projects and issue an RFC with important information on how to use and contribute to this directory.

• Issue an update to a previous RFC that answered several of the most commonly asked “primary and secondary school internet user questions”.


Current Internet Drafts

• At this time the ISN does not have any current Internet Drafts that they are working on.


41st IETF Meeting

• The 41st IETF Meeting is scheduled to meet March 29-April 3, 1998 in Los Angeles, CA.

• The ISN will not be meeting at the 41st IETF meeting.