Network Card Theft Causes Internet Outage

[Floid]

Here's an example of one:
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS3554579085.html

It's 'just' a network card, for a very 'expensive' high-bandwidth connection, probably between telco equipment, or to a high-rise that runs its own ISP/telco or something.  (Like most telco stuff, it probably runs ATM as a protocol, and the number of IPs that can be apportioned depends entirely on the routers at each end.)

As an example -- and I have no idea of the accuracy of this -- the DS3 might terminate at a router in a RT (Remote Terminal) containing a DSLAM (DSL Access Multiplexer), and the DSLAM by nature or programming limits the bandwidth available to each user, while of course it can still be oversold (sell 50 people DSL with a T1-grade link speed, but have the bottleneck of the line that can only support 28 users concurrently without forcing the router to queue or drop, and some of that bandwidth is dedicated to providing voice service as well)....  Or the DS3 could pop straight into a megacorp's router, and it's up to the company what they do with all that bandwidth and what routing/IP block arrangements they've negotiated with the telco.

It could also be run between the local CO (Central Office) and wherever the telco found convenient to offer their colocation cage(s),* which is what seems to have happened here... someone had access to, or broke into the "colo," and managed to walk out with some expensive equipment that wasn't theirs.

(Not sure what you'd mean about home users, but in towns smaller than NYC, you'd expect the colo to be in the same building as the Central Office that provides the residential service(s) and so on.  Manhattan is huge, so they probably have a couple facilities, one at the 'CO' for the third-party ISPs to provision their DSL, and at least another just for the 'colo' customers who want to put a server near a fat pipe.)

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*Sort of a literal cage; apparently they're usually 'secured' rooms, with jail-like bars for show, and a guard around to let you in and make sure you aren't ripping the cables out of other people's racks.  I'm sure Wayne or someone can elaborate.

[Floid]

Now, why is this being investigated as a terrorist incident??? Well, it was a crime against a corporation's profits. I think that says a lot about our priorities. Thanks, Bush.

Two things: Manhattan has something called "Wall Street" on it, and the well-being of those megacorps unfortunately controls the well-being of the nation as a whole... and the antiterrorism guys 1. have a lot of authority to streamline the crimefighting process (every criminal is a 'terrorist' now), and 2. need to look useful to justify their funding.

[bbrv]

...just finished watching Colin Powell and Larry King (Live)...and want to say... thanks Joe.

R&B  :-)

P.S. When is everyone else going to wake up?!

[Floid]

I did what now?

[bbrv]

(good post  :-)  )

[Ilwrath]

Two things: Manhattan has something called "Wall Street" on it [...]

Yes, but this wasn't involving Wall Street, in any way, other than maybe to a slight negative effect on some companies who's stocks are traded there?

and the antiterrorism guys 1. have a lot of authority to streamline the crimefighting process (every criminal is a 'terrorist' now), and 2. need to look useful to justify their funding.

And that's the problem.  Terrorists aren't treated with the same due process as other criminals.  And now, everyone is getting prosecuted as a terrorist.  It's pretty clear that a router theft (even of an expensive router that was in use) isn't terrorism.  THAT'S my problem with the current priorities....

[Floid]

Yes, but this wasn't involving Wall Street, in any way, other than maybe to a slight negative effect on some companies who's stocks are traded there?

Well, since we don't know exactly who was effected, who knows?  Could've included bank branches (which probably had failover), or anything else.  NYC has a "task force" to bring in by virtue of being NYC, and while I'm just calling it as it lies, it's nice that after they do their paperwork shuffle and violate everyone's rights, they do often take their hands off and say "Enh, no connection, civil authorities can take it from here."

...

I'd hope a dumb____ domestic thief doesn't get shipped to Guantanamo as an enemy combatant (and that is the most glaring problem, those books are closed)... but while the actual procedure sucks, you have to give that NYC and DC are entitled to some form of higher scrutiny.*  Thankfully, the Republicans are plonking their convention in NY, so we get to make this go head to head with our First Amendment rights. :roll:

*(Not to say it should demand PATRIOT acts, task forces, or definitions of 'terrorism;' civilian judges should just grant the d*mn search warrants with the understanding that the place was recently a war zone... But who wants to strategically deploy judges when you can impose martial law?)

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Anyhow, does make you wonder if theft of installed equipment is really this rare (Manhattan sure has quieted down in recent years, the cynic in me says because anyone with the 'need' to conduct such crime can no longer afford to live there even if successful), or if it managed to disrupt something preexistingly cloak-and-dagger.