MaineREN is a facilities-based Regional Optical Network (RON) servicing Maine’s Research & Education community.

MaineREN was created by the University of Maine System to deliver the cyberinfrastructure necessary to participate in, and be considered for, high-technology research.  As the National Science Foundation has made the ability to demonstrate appropriate levels of Cyberinfrastructure a requirment for funding, it is crucial in Maine’s ability to attract and retain this high-technology research that our institutions have access to the national and international R&E community though a facilities-based RON.

This effort is similar to other regional networks throughout the United States.

Below is a map of the MaineREN network and primary institutions serviced.

Here is a listing of some of the institutions that are connected through MaineREN.

• Bates College
• Bowdoin College
• Colby College
• College of the Atlantic
• The Jackson Laboratory
• Maine Maritime Academy *
• Maine Media Workshops + College
• The Maine Public Broadcasting Network
• Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory
• Thomas College
• Unity College
• University of Maine
• University of Maine at Augusta
• University of Maine at Farmington
• University of Maine at Fort Kent
• University of Maine at Machias
• University of Maine at Presque Isle
• University of Southern Maine

* Denotes third-party connection in path to MaineREN

MaineREN is linked to the rest of Internet2® through Albany, NY and the Northern Crossroads GigaPOP in Cambridge, MA. with a current operational capacity of 20 Gbps dedicated to R&E connectivity.

Networkmaine maintains a perfSONAR network performance testing server for MaineREN.

This performance testing server includes:

Network Diagnostic Tool
a Java-based bandwidth test that can detect local connection problems

Network Path and Application Diagnosis
a Java-based utility to test the path between you and MaineREN for throughput, latency, MTU, and TCP options for high performance applications. All tests are logged and publicly available here.