Anyone really know about optical internet?

[toocan]

Let's go way out into dumb question land:

Here's some background. I have registered a website domain and I want to set up a server. Being of the "there's no substitute for cubic inches" mentality, I wanted the fastest reasonable connection to the internet "system". Having done some half baked research into this via the internet, I find there appear to be several options T1/T3 lines etc and the OC-3, 12 etc SONET system. One guy tells me major telecom providers can hook you up with an OC connection if you are located in a relatively large city. OC appears to be the closest connection to the so called internet "backbone". No real research has yet been done on what this would cost per month.

So what form does this take? I envisioned a server (basically a powerful PC) connected to a fiber optic cable coming out of the wall in the basement of a bar in a good sized city.

So how do you connect a fiber optic cable to a PC? Details on the 'net seem somewhat scanty. I looked for some kind of OC PCI card and actually ended up buying a couple of Fore Systems PCA-200 MMF OC-12 PCI ATM NIC Adapters (sic) off ebay for $9.00 each. I figured I couldn't go wrong at that price. I have no bloody idea what these things are and if they'll even work. I don't think they are OC-12 (622 Mbps) but perhaps OC-3 (155 Mbps) but that's probably fast enough at the moment. Anyway, in theory, this card plugs into a PCI slot, I install a driver and I'm off to the races.

Where can you find a driver (and perhaps firmware) for these things for Linux and Win 2000? I presume I'll set the server up with a Linux operating system but it would be nice to have a driver for something I know and can play with in the meantime.

I would appreciate any "guru" on this subject to point me in the direction where I can find out more information or to tell me I am really out to lunch.

 

[Nodsu]

Need to clear up some layers here..

You have to understand that T1/T3, OC-X are just carriers. These standards say how much data you can shove through that channel. They don't say anything about the format of the data. You can imagine that this is the diameter of a pipe coming into your house. It doesn't say whether the pipe carries sewage, water, gas or cables or whether your utility company supplies any of these.

ATM is a network stack (completely different from ethernet and TCP/IP BTW), that was quite popular in the 90s. It is being phased out now I believe. Yes, you can push internet through ATM too. And yes, you can use both Windows and Linux with it. It may just be that your nearest local ATM loop is 100 miles away, since no one in your area has bothered to deploy it..

First you have to find out what services you have available. Ask your local business-grade ISPs what they can give you. If you are in a reasonably built-up area, then you have a good chance of getting gigabit ethernet (that's 1000Mbps BTW). It has a range of 300 feet, runs over relatively cheap copper wire and plugs into your standard ethernet adapter. All reasonable OS work with ethernet out of the box.