JANUS: one year´s experience with a TCP/IP VSAT network

JANUS (Joint Academic Network Using Satellites) is an 3-year EC-funded project under the DELTA Programme of DG XIII. Its aim is to build, using a mix of VSAT and terrestrial networking technology, a pilot trans-European operational equivalent of the terrestrial academic Internet networks. The original aim of JANUS was to build a new generation of mesh VSAT technology but after consultation with the EC it was agreed to use available star VSAT technology in a mesh application. The author discusses the first year´s operation