Router crash unplugs 1m Swedish Internet users

Stewart, William C (Bill), RTSLS billstewart at att.com
Mon Jun 23 22:37:59 UTC 2003


Jim wrote:
> One router and it takes there entire network off-line... 
> Maybe someone needs a Intro to Networks 101 class.

I assume things are designed in such a way that if the router were
actually dead, the traffic would take an alternate route.
But the posting commented that they'd been saying something about memory corruption.
There are unfortunately too many ways for a router to be 
"not dead yet", happily answering routing protocol messages
but not bothering to actually forward packets between network interfaces,
and if that happens on the router that's your best route due to
geography or BGP or whatever, it can take a while to catch.
Dealing with that is at least Networks 203 or maybe Networks 532 :-)

Additionally, while the article in the press referred to it as a "router",
that may be an actual technical description accurately described
by a reporter who knows the technology, or it may be press shorthand
for "one of those high-tech thingies that ISPs use",
or it may be the ISP's Speaker-To-Reporters's watered-down description
of something.


  



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