On 25 Aug 1997, Sean M. Doran wrote:
I just read this after clearing out old NANOG mail...
Jon Lewis <jlewis@inorganic5.fdt.net> writes:
The Atlanta NAP (www.atlanta-nap.net run by Nathan Stratton) is down, probably for good. We're a customer (luckily a multihomed one!), and the word is WORLDCOM pulled all their circuits due to debts. So all the netrail.net mailing lists and stuff will be down too.
Vary much not correct. All of our WORLDCOM circuits have been paid, and never were late. Worldcom terminated our service because NetRail refused to pay over 300K in circuits that NetRail never ordered. We have paid them this amount to get our network back up.
You know, although I do feel bad for Netrail and its customers, I did read this with a keen appreciation for the irony, given Mr Stratton's public comments about how badly BBN's power system was misdesigned for allowing them to take multi-hour outages, particularly in light of the fact that the outage in question was beyond BBN's immediate ability to fix, and not BBN's fault.
Ok, how much larger is BBN compared to NetRail??? NetRail was started by one guy with a credit card. I have built NetRail, not just a transit free network, but I have built the colos, and even some hardware. I have done all this with VARY little money. I now have funding, and you WILL see is grow. I admit NetRail should have paid the disputed 300K worldcom bill. My investors refused to pay it. I not have new investors with far more money.
It didn't have the personal tastiness of Mr Bass's unfortunate encounter with bad weather a year or so ago, but frankly, I can't help but engage in schadenfreude anyway.
I also wonder how the millions of GRFs and the billions of other high-tech expensive pieces of equipment in Netrail's large network Mr Stratton often commented upon are coping right now.
They are up and running fine.
One final extract, from <Pine.BSF.3.95q.970716143738.3017A-100000@netrail.net> posted to NANOG during the recent backhoe season: "Ya, we are going to kill worldcom for this [outage caused by a fibre-cut]". No tickee, no complainee?
The moral of this story: bad things happen to everyone. But when it happens to braggarts who seem to specialize in doing things better than people who are trying their best, it's terribly, terribly cool. --:)
Well Sean, you can sit back and soon eat your words. NetRail will grow, and so far we lost only 1 customer due to this outage. Why, because we provide a services that is better then most providers out there.
Take note, please, Mr Fleming (inventor and super genius).
Sean.
P.S. We have also learned not be be dependent on Worldcom. We will soon buy our DS3s from 3 fibers carriers, and not just 1. Nathan Stratton President, CTO, NetRail,Inc. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Phone (888)NetRail NetRail, Inc. Fax (404)522-1939 230 Peachtree Suite 500 WWW http://www.netrail.net/ Atlanta, GA 30303 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. - Psalm 33:16