Network

The contemporary CESNET2 network is built around the DWDM core. We deployed our first DWDM line providing more 10 Gbps channels in December 2004. One year later it has been enhanced to a DWDM backbone ring connecting Prague, Brno, Olomouc and Hradec Kralove. We continuously expanded the DWDM core to further cities up to the current rich backbone. It uses a mixture of commercial equipment and optical devices developed by CESNET.

Remaining backbone lines of the CESNET2 network are based on the mixture of Ten-Gigabit and Gigabit Ethernet and Packet Over SONET (POS). It ensures very high throughput (bandwidth of all core lines lies in the range of gigabits per second).

The essential idea of our design is to build the backbone network in small rings encompassing no more than four cities (points of presence). Such topology provides redundant network offering small hop counts and delays.

Topology valid since June 2010
(detailed map: GIF 120 KB, PDF 110 KB)

The network has following independent international connections:

10 Gbps to GÉANT, used for academic traffic
2.5 Gbps to Telia, used for commodity traffic
10 Gbps to SANET, academic network of Slovakia
10 Gbps to ACOnet, academic network of Austria
10 Gbps to PIONIER, Polish optical academic network
10 Gbps to NetherLight/GLIF for experimental traffic; this line is connected to our experimental optical network named CzechLight, so it is not depicted in the map of CESNET2 above

In addition to these international lines, external connectivity of CESNET2 is enhanced by powerful peering connections:

2×10 Gbps to NIX.CZ
1 Gbps to AMS-IX

Network provides multicasting capability and is a part of the MBone network. Videoconferencing services based on the MBone technology are offered to the network users. IP version 6 is provided as a standard service.

More information about the network, its features and development is available in our technical reports.

Related information:

Current load on the backbone.
Connected institutions – list of the network subscribers.
History of the network.
IP version 6.
IP telephony.