Q: Who can connect to OttIX?
A: Anyone can. ISP's, telcos, large businesses, government, research labs, etc. In cases where it doesn't make sense to connect a small organization, it might be best to convince your Internet supplier to connect to OttIX.

Q: How much does it cost to establish a connection to OttIX?
A: Connecting to OttIX is free. The capacity of your link and it's demarcation is between you and your backhaul provider. In other words, the real cost is whatever you use to connect to OttIX, from the local-loop to all the bits and pieces needed to activate it.

Q: What facilities are available at OttIX?
A: OttIX connectivity is available at the following POPs:

151 Front Street, Suite 602

This is a specially hosted switch within Standard Connection's suite. Storm provides a 100Mb/s PVC for OttIX use.

250 Albert, Suite 205 NPA-NXX 613-230

This OttIX switch is located at the Telecom Ottawa rack. Rogers and Telecom Ottawa fiber and services available.

264 Albert, Cage 18

Co-located with the Federal GigaPOP, within a Rogers facility. Both Rogers and Telecom Ottawa fiber and services available.

1760 Courtwood Crescent, NPA-NXX 613-727

Storm provides a POP for folks requiring the use of Bell facilities back into the OttIX switch located there. Other providers are also available.

Q: What does my backhaul provider need to know to install the connection?
A: OttIX is located at 250 Albert St., Suite 205 in the downtown Ottawa core. You can establish any type of connection you like, as long as it eventually terminates to RJ-45. We do recommend that the connection be 10Mb/s ethernet or greater. Always contact peering -at- ottix.net first!

Q: What routes traffic at OttIX?
A: At OttIX, there are two choices:

• A member can choose to peer with another member directly using BGP, or;
• A member can peer with the OttIX Route servers, so that the member can obtain all the routes heard there, which means, a) hearing every member's routes heard there, and b) minimizing the amount of work needed to establish a BGP peering session at OttIX.

In either case, BGP version 4 is required for all peering sessions. Using a protocol such as IS-IS or OSPF (or even IGRP, EIGRP or RIP) is NOT recommended for both Internet operations and security reasons.

Q: Will you allow transit?
A: Depends on how you define the word "transit":

• If you mean announcing your customer's prefixes across to other peers, and having your peer's customer's prefixes announced to your customers, then of course.
• If you mean buying Internet bandwidth from another provider that happens to be at OttIX, then yes, by all means, go ahead. However, it's STRONGLY recommended that transit connectivity be established between your co-located router and your provider's. This is because there's no guarantee that you'll get the bandwidth you negotiated with your upstream across the OttIX switch fabric. It cannot be stressed enough: OttIX makes no bandwidth guarantees just because you have one from your transit provider. Use private interconnects.

In short, yes absolutely!

Q: Will I be able to co-locate a router at OTTIX?
A: There is limited access to rack space at OttIX. OttIX peers will be given free rack space within reason. The use of a PC as a router is strongly discouraged, as there is no room at OttIX for storing a monitor, keyboard, and other accessories.

Q: Will I be able to co-locate a server at OttIX?
A: As stated above, there really is limited space at OttIX. But, one of OttIX's goals is to promote the interests of its members, and to that end, if you really want a server co-located, why not choose an OttIX-connected ISP instead?

Q: Does OttIX have a backup power source?
A: Only the OttIX switch and route servers will be backed up by UPS. However, providing a UPS for you (and perhaps others) to use is always welcome.

Q: What protocols can I run over OttIX?
A: You can run anything you like. OttIX currently has IPv4, both unicast and multicast traffic (yes, MBONE access is available) as well as IPv6 unicast and multicast. Please note that running an IGP protocol such as OSPF is not encouraged.

Q: What applications will work over OttIX? Will VOIP work?
A: You can run anything you like. It doesn't matter what the application is, as OttIX doesn't filter content nor does it ever intend to. Content filtering and application filtering thus becomes the domain of the member ISP, as it's meant to be.