Multi-homing small ISP

[Fraser Campbell <fraser@baxter.net>]

Hi all,

We are a small ISP currently utilizing about 75% of a /24 from our upstream
provider.  Due to problems with this provider, we wish to multi-home our
network.  We also wish to obtain our own address space (portable address
space).

Is there *any* way for us to obtain our own IP number allocation when our
utilization is so small (/24).  From the reading I have been doing, it
seems that unless you can justify a /19 you are out of luck.  ARIN
apparently assigns nothing smaller than a /20 and we certainly cannot
justify an allocation that large at this 

I have read countless websites and articles and am still not clear on these
issues.  RFCs which I have read seem to state that allocation is possible
if "the organization is multi-homed with no favored connection" ... which
is where we wish to be.

If we cannot obtain our own allocation, and must keep our current
allocation, what are our options?  Ideally we would like to be in a
situation where we have no ties whatsoever to our current upstream provider
but we could always keep them as a lower speed connection so that we can
retain their allocation.

Basically I'd like to see all of this information in one place.  If you can
point me to some URLs or even books I should buy, great.  If you have the
patience to explain it all, even better.

Regards,

Fraser Campbell