The University of Paderborn provides the operation of a university network with connected services via the ZIM and continuously expands it according to the needs of the university members.

Overall, the ZIM is responsible for the following areas and services in network operations:

• Active and passive network infrastructure

• Wireless LAN

• External Internet connection

• Connection of external facilities

• Backbone

• Network services like Domain Name Service (DNS), Network Time Protocol (NTP), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

• Freely accessible wired network connections ("green boxes")

• Virtual Private Network (VPN)

• Network security
   

Active and passive network infrastructure

The ZIM plans and realizes the deployment, expansion and replacement of the passive and active network infrastructure. This is based on the computer equipment and the usage profile of the respective users. The passive infrastructure includes the external cable network and the necessary internal cabling including junction boxes. The services are usually provided by commissioning specialist companies. In this case, the ZIM takes over the approval of the passive network. Components of the active network infrastructure are technical devices such as routers or switches. The network technologies Wi-Fi and Ethernet with a data rate of 10 Mbps to 10 Gbps are used. The Internet Protocol (IP) versions 4 and 6 (IPv4 and IPv6) are used.
 

External Internet connection

The Internet connection of the University of Paderborn forms the basis for the entire data communication of the university, both to the scientific network XWiN of DFN as well as to other research networks and commercial networks, national and international.

Connection of external institutions

Affiliated institutes of the University of Paderborn are connected to the data network of the University of Paderborn via a direct link and embedded in it like normal buildings.
 

Backbone

The backbone of the University of Paderborn is the high-speed data network that connects the individual buildings and floor distribution points. This is the "carrier network" in which the data is transported between the facilities (ZIM, faculties, institutes etc.).
 

Network security

In order to achieve adequate network security, several coordinated security measures must generally be used. The protection against unwanted access to the university network from the "outside world", but also the regulation of data traffic with the "outside world" is implemented on the central firewall. To protect individual subnets within the university, the ZIM provides firewalls based on filter rules on the routers.