We believe in transparency with our community by educating our users and sharing knowledge with the public in how our network will function. This will assist in eliminating the mystery of how you get internet service and give you a greater perspective on how things work behind the scenes of an Internet Service Provider. 

 
 

The Worldwide Web

The term "Worldwide Web"  is referencing the many big and small telecom companies that makeup the internet. They are all connected at what are called Internet Exchange Points (IXP) through a method called Peering, "A method carriers connect with each other through agreeable terms". Each carrier shares with the other what IP Addresses they have in their network like how you have an address on your house but for computers. Each carrier in the United States gets these addresses through an organization named American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN). Each carrier benefits by connecting to another as without this connection internet would not exist.

When you go to a website like diua.org your computer requests the IP Address records of the domain name you entered through another organization called Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) that maintains what are called Root Servers (See Root Server Map) for top level domains like .com, .org, .net, .coffee, .cat, and see Full Top Level Domain List . . . 

DIUA has a port at the Seattle Internet Exchange (SIX) to peer with other providers under the Autonomous System Number AS15214. This is key to providing you the ability to connect to a website on another carriers network.

 

Transporting locally

How does the Worldwide Web magically find its way to our membership zones from the Internet Exchange Point in Seattle? Using existing lines through other carriers we use a method called IP Transport. IP Transport is a method of getting services from Point A to Point B inexpensively without the need for large capitol infrastructure investments. Through an agreement you are able to get full or partial access to physical lines, what you broadcast on those lines is up to the carrier getting IP Transport as IP Transport alone will not connect you to the Worldwide Web. 

DIUA will use IP Transport from the Seattle Internet Exchange (SIX) a.k.a. Westin Exchange in Seattle, WA to Arlington, WA on a 10 GigE Line to allow for expansion. This line will be leased from a local fiber carrier and the fiber vault will be the demarcation point to our first wireless microwave back haul tower.

 

Distribution

How will the Worldwide Web get to homes or businesses? From our first wireless microwave back haul mentioned in the Transport Locally section, we will have individual towers receiving the back haul signals using Point to Point (PTP) units. The towers with these PTP units will have what are called Point to Multi point (PTMP) units. These PTMP units will project signal to small rugged units mounted on the side of homes, businesses, or Wi-Fi Distribution Points. From these units it could directly be plugged into your computer or into what is called a wireless router that can distribute your connection to other computers or devices. 

The unit mounted on the side of your usage location will have what is called a media access control (MAC) address basically what identifies hardware in a network. This MAC address will be assigned to your account and validated through protocols like Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) that allows for the control of a connection like speed and usage. This will be accomplished using core routers located locally and web based dashboards that intergrate billing and support functions. 

DIUA will utilize towers in the mountains with our own equipment mounted allowing for adequate signal strength and coverage. The technology will allow for compatibility in extreme weather conditions with better non line of sight coverage and the capacity for growth.

Our coverage plan

You can find a google earth kml download of our current coverage plans here for your viewing pleasure!