Frequently Asked Questions


Table of Contents: New Customers

Table of Contents: Customers

What does Net Ops Do?

Net Ops (formerly known as GOSIP) is a part of Unified Network Services. We support wide-area networking for all State agencies. If you need WAN (wide-area network) expertise or Internet access, contact us.

What is a protocol?

A protocol is a means for computers to talk to each other. Just as two people have to speak the same language to understand each other, so computers also have languages that they use. There are many different protocols, just as there are many different languages. The analogy holds true in that if the computers don't speak the same protocol, they won't be able to communicate.

The most widely known (and used) protocol is TCP/IP, which is the protocol used on the Internet. You can connect a computer to the Internet using the right wires and electronics, but if the computer doesn't speak TCP/IP, you won't be able to talk to any other computers.

What services are offered by Net Ops?

We offer a complete network connection, but the services can be broken down into two primary parts: physical connectivity and protocol support.

Physical connectivity is the actual wiring and electronics that are necessary to complete a network connection. In most cases this includes:

  • circuit (usually a T-1, 56K, Ethernet, Token Ring and ATM)
  • router (usually a Cisco 1600 series router)
  • a hub connection (a port on one of our hub routers)
Protocol support is related to the type of software that the network equipment runs. The software varies depending on what kind of computers need to talk to each other. For example, if you use a Novell network and want to talk to another Novell server, you need software that can speak a protocol called IPX. If you want to use the Internet, you need support for a protocol called TCP/IP. Some of the protocols supported by the our network are:
  • TCP/IP
  • IPX (Novell)
  • Appletalk
  • DECnet
If you have other protocols that need to be carried, chances are that we are already doing it for someone else, so don't be afraid to ask.

What is the Internet?

This is really an ambiguous question, or at least not the right question. Let's start by talking about what the Internet is not. The Internet is not:
  • the world wide web
  • e-mail
  • USENET news
  • telnet or ftp
These are all applications that run on the Internet. The Internet itself is the network that carries the information to allow these applications to work. Think of the world wide web as a program (like Microsoft Word). The program itself has no particular use unless you run it on a computer. In this analogy, the Internet would be the computer on which the program runs.

So the Internet is really the physical circuits and electronics, together with the protocols that make communication possible. Since applications like the web are the only thing most people can see, they are often thougt of as "the Internet", but this is not the case.

How do I connect to the Internet

In truth, this question is beyond the scope of this FAQ. There are many FAQs that address general Internet connectivity, but we will only address connectivity for State of Ohio agencies.

Dedicated connections must be ordered via a TSR (Telecommunications Service Request) which is submitted by your agency's Telecommunications Coordinator. Our dedicated connections are available in various speeds (Ethernet, FastEther, Token Ring, Frame Relay, 56K, T-1, T-3, and ATM). More information can be found on our Services page.

What if I want to use protocols other than TCP/IP (the Internet protocol)?

We support many protocols as shown above. These include: DECNET, AppleTalk, IPX and others.

When service is ordered, please include which protocols need to be supported over the connection so that the proper equipment and software revision can be installed.

How do I upgrade my service?

All upgrade orders should be submitted via the proper form (a TSR) through your agency's Telecommunications Coordinator. An upgrade in service will generally require that we send a technician to your site to remove old hardware and install new. Therefore, it is important that all of the appropriate information is included in the order. Please include:

  • changes is circuit speed (for example: 56K to T-1)
  • additional protocols you wish to use
  • address of the site
  • a customer contact at the remote site and a telephone number
  • the date you on which you want the changes to take place
  • equipment changes (for example: upgrade a Cisco 2501 to a Cisco 2620)

How do I move my connection when I move to a new office?

The process is very similar to requesting an upgrade. Please include the following in the TSR:

  • address of the initial site
  • address of the new site
  • a customer contact at both the old and new sites and a telephone number for each contact
  • the date you on which you want the changes to take place
  • any upgrades you might want to enact at the time of the move.