Phase 0: Goals
Advanced Computer Networks
Building high-speed networks for research and education at Shepherd University.
Problem: Network connectivity limited growth
Shepherd University began planning network infrastructure improvement in 2020. The problem was that the campus Internet connection was becoming a bottleneck. Its single commercial connection could not support growth as Shepherd researchers, educators, students, and administrators continued to explore new and creative uses for Internet connectivity. At that time, there were no feasible options for widening the bottleneck.
Goal: Connect Shepherd to national advanced infrastructure
In 2020, Shepherd set a goal to identify the best option for connecting its Shepherdstown campus to advanced computer networks across the United States and around the world. At that time, the most attractive conduit was Internet2, an organization of top universities and technology companies that provides advanced network infrastructure for research. The growth of Internet2 was largely funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the United States. See background for more information.
The problem was how to connect Shepherd to Internet2. The most feasible route seemed to be through the Capital Area Advanced Research and Education Network (CAAREN). CAAREN is an NSF-funded network, headquartered at The George Washington University in Washington DC, with infrastructure that extends into southern Maryland and northern Virginia. CAAREN was very excited to connect Shepherd, but someone needed to plot a high-speed connection from Shepherd to CAAREN, or to some other other regional network.