USATODAY.com - Internet2 is higher-tech version of regular Internet
What is Internet2?
Think of Internet2 as a higher-tech version of the regular Internet. Like "Internet1," Internet2 connects computers all across the country. But it uses newer, more experimental technology. That can make it less stable than Internet1 — but it's also about 100 times as fast under typical conditions.
The original Internet works fine. Why is Internet2 needed?
In 1969, the University of California at Los Angeles and Stanford University set up a simple computer network that could send data back and forth between the two campuses. For more than 20 years, academics tinkered with this network and its successors. They used the networks to test computer technology and send research data.
In the early 1990s, commercial interest in one of the successor networks, now called the Internet, soared. Web pages popped up, and suddenly it became impractical to tinker with the network for research projects. Scientists wanted their own network again, and in 1996, created Internet2.
What kind of work is done on Internet2?
Research, mostly. At the University of Missouri-Rolla, nuclear engineers use it to send high-quality video links to labs at other universities. At the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), biomedical researchers use it to access giant genetic databases. At Wichita State University, mathematicians use it to tap into distant supercomputers. "It's been a great resource," says Wichita computing director Gary Ott. Companies such as Cisco Systems and IBM also use Internet2 to test networking technologies.
Will Internet2 ever be open to the public?
Probably not. But the technologies developed in Internet2 will gradually be transferred to the original Internet, making it faster and more stable. The goal is to "create the next-generation Internet," says network director Brian Buege of the University of Missouri-Rolla.
What is Internet2?
Think of Internet2 as a higher-tech version of the regular Internet. Like "Internet1," Internet2 connects computers all across the country. But it uses newer, more experimental technology. That can make it less stable than Internet1 — but it's also about 100 times as fast under typical conditions.
The original Internet works fine. Why is Internet2 needed?
In 1969, the University of California at Los Angeles and Stanford University set up a simple computer network that could send data back and forth between the two campuses. For more than 20 years, academics tinkered with this network and its successors. They used the networks to test computer technology and send research data.
In the early 1990s, commercial interest in one of the successor networks, now called the Internet, soared. Web pages popped up, and suddenly it became impractical to tinker with the network for research projects. Scientists wanted their own network again, and in 1996, created Internet2.
What kind of work is done on Internet2?
Research, mostly. At the University of Missouri-Rolla, nuclear engineers use it to send high-quality video links to labs at other universities. At the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), biomedical researchers use it to access giant genetic databases. At Wichita State University, mathematicians use it to tap into distant supercomputers. "It's been a great resource," says Wichita computing director Gary Ott. Companies such as Cisco Systems and IBM also use Internet2 to test networking technologies.
Will Internet2 ever be open to the public?
Probably not. But the technologies developed in Internet2 will gradually be transferred to the original Internet, making it faster and more stable. The goal is to "create the next-generation Internet," says network director Brian Buege of the University of Missouri-Rolla.