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Homeless man disrupts Internet2 service

By Adam Gaffin, Network World, 05/02/07

A fire started by a homeless man knocked out service between Boston and New York on the experimental Internet2 network Tuesday night.

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Chris Robb, an engineer at Indiana University's Global Network Operations Center who works on Internet2, says Level 3 Communications cables used by the network went up in flames. The cables were on the Longfellow Bridge, which connects Boston and Cambridge across the Charles River.

Robb, who co-authors the Internet2 Network Upgrade blog, writes that Level 3 engineers estimate it could take one to two days to restore the circuit. Engineers are looking at rerouting a Chicago-to-New York OC-192 circuit that normally goes through Boston to Washington until service is restored.

Robb writes: "Question: When can a cigarette take down your network? Answer: When you throw it at a bridge and light it on fire."

Authorities say the fire, which also disrupted service on the Red Line subway, started around 8:20 p.m. when a homeless man tossed a lit cigarette. The cigarette landed on a mattress, which ignited and led to a two-alarm fire.

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I have long been a proponent of putting By Anonymous on May 2, 2007, 8:52 am

Level 3's speedBy Anonymous on May 4, 2007, 4:15 pm

Smoking in BedBy Anonymous on May 4, 2007, 4:02 pm

POTS cigaretteBy Anonymous on May 4, 2007, 1:37 pm

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