[AfriNIC-rpd] Definitions of LIR versus End User

[Jackson Muthili]

On Sat, Jul 14, 2012 at 1:44 AM, Owen DeLong <owen at delong.com> wrote:
>
> On Jul 13, 2012, at 2:26 PM, Seun Ojedeji wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> On Fri, Jul 13, 2012 at 8:07 AM, Guy Antony Halse <G.halse at ru.ac.za> wrote:
>>
>> Hi
>> this creates exactly the sort of ambiguity I referred to previously.
>>
>> There exists the potential for an organisation that neither uses its IP
>> assignments *exclusively* for its internal use,
>
>
> Such organization will then be referred to as an LIR
>
>> nor *primarily* assigns
>> address space to end-users.
>
>
> I would think if an organization does not primarily assign IP to an end
> user, then they be referred to as end-users.
>
>
> Your previous two statements contradict each other.
>
> A University, for example, primarily assigns addresses to its classrooms,
> laboratories, and other IT infrastructure within the campus. It may also
> assign addresses to customers such as students and/or faculty living in
> on-campus or other institutional housing.


A very interesting remark Owen.

When looking at students as customers of an university, it does not
matter anymore, a university is a LIR! All schools and colleges are
LIR!

cheers
JM


> I would agree that such an institution should be considered an LIR for
> policy purposes. I do not agree that since they do not primarily assign IP
> to  end-users that they are an end-user. I would say that any institution
> which assigns Internet Number Resources to downstream customer facilities
> is, in fact, an LIR regardless of whether they themselves consume the
> majority of their addresses or not.
>
>
>> Ergo (at least some) universities are neither end-users nor LIRs.
>>
> Yes i agree there can be some universities that provide services beyond
> their organization and thereby issuing IP address within their block.
> Nevertheless i think this would apply to a few in Africa, as most university
> don't even have enough bandwidth for their own use. :-)
>
>
> First, I think it may be more than you think from some of the earlier
> conversation in this thread.
>
> Second, hopefully that is a temporary problem which will be solved in the
> coming years and not a permanent situation.
>
>> Which is why I think that end-user should be !(LIR || RIR). = end-user
>> ;-)
>>
>
>
> I would rather see LIR = (!End User || RIR) since I believe end-user is
> easier to define:
>
> An end-user is a network which does not allocate or assign addresses to any
> network not entirely under said organizations direct control.
>
> e.g.:
> 1. A traditional ISP is not an end-user because it does not control the
> network or networking equipment within the residences or businesses it
> serves.
> 2. A University which provides direct access to end-hosts in institutional
> housing but does not allow residents to supply or use their own routers,
> switches, or other network equipment which connects additional end-hosts and
> does not assign or allocate IP addresses to any other external entity is an
> end-user.
> 3. A University which provides network connectivity to institutional
> housing, but allows residents to manage their own internal networks within
> said institutional housing or otherwise assigns or allocates IP addresses to
> any other external entity is not an end-user.
>
> From the earlier discussions, it seems to me that Africa contains
> universities in both the end-user and the LIR category. It is not clear from
> Andrew's rants whether or not his particular institution should be treated
> as an end-user.
>
> Owen
>
>
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