SCCo ARES/RACES Data Network
SCCo ARES/RACES operates a high availability data network, designed to maintain operations “when all else fails.” It is not dependent on the global Internet, but is connected to it when available. SCCo ARES/RACES hosts several services on this network.
Services
- Packet Bulletin Boards (BBS)
- read more SCCo ARES/RACES operates four packet bulletin board (BBS) systems in different locations. Most areas in the county can reach at least two of them via amateur radio.
- Email Service
- read more SCCo ARES/RACES operates four sets of email servers in different locations. They are able to exchange email with each other even without the global Internet. They provide a resilient email capability for our served agencies “when all else fails.”
- Internet Access
- read more The SCCo ARES/RACES intranet has connectivity to the global Internet from four different locations. In the event that a served agency’s own connections to the global Internet are nonfunctional, they can route traffic through our intranet as an alternate route to the global Internet.
- Served Agency Services
- read more Served agencies that have an Ethernet or WiFi connection to the SCCo ARES/RACES intranet can deploy services on that network that can be used by other such agencies. Because our intranet is resilient, these services will remain accessible even when the global Internet is not.
Access Technologies
- VHF/UHF Amateur Radio
- read more The SCCo ARES/RACES packet BBS systems are accessible over the air on VHF and UHF amateur radio frequencies, using the AX.25 (packet) protocol.
- TCP/IP over WiFi or Ethernet
- read more Served agencies can establish direct TCP/IP connections to the SCCo ARES/RACES intranet using Ethernet twisted-pair or fiber optic cables (if they are co-located with one of our hub sites) or using commercially available WiFi equipment and protocols (if they have line of sight to one of our hub sites). These connections allow access to all of the above services.
- Global Internet
- read more Some SCCo ARES/RACES intranet services are accessible from the global Internet. Our intranet has four connections to the global Internet in different locations around the county. It would take a major disaster indeed for all of them to fail simultaneously.