There is a concept I’d like to mention that were found in CP 2020 and Rache Barmoss’ Guide to the Net (GttN) that I found so ridiculous that I’d like to actually explicit say they don’t apply. The concept I have a problem with is the
idea of 3D free motion “walking.” A netrunner travels through data conduits. Whether they are fiber optics or cellularmodems doesn’t matter they are basically tubes with data flowing through them. A netrunner can’t get from Seattle to Dallas except by using long distance connections. The lines simply aren’t there. A netrunner can only go where the wires go, and there is no attempt to make it appear as the physical world outside. The net is the net, and physical world is the physical world, again there isn’t data for the I-G algorithms to interpret.

Infrastructure

The Infrastructure of the net is not all that complex it is only made up of two objects: Lines and Switches. Lines represent any number of data carriers. For example fiber optic cable, ethernet (if you can find some), Satellite uplink, Cellular modems or Radio transmission are all basically two way data transmission mediums. These are the only way to travel around. A netrunner goes from one switch down a line to another switch. In general to a netrunner, lines appear as tubes. The walls are colored different colors depending on what sort of medium
is being traveled (Blue for fiber optics, green for cellular connection, red for radio modem, yellow for copper, etc.). In general there will be small will-o-wisp looking objects whizzing down a tube, these represent the conventional traffic of the Net. Using certain programs (trace, tap, block, etc.) a netrunner can capture or filter traffic to intercept messages, and data.

Connecting the lines of the infrastructure are switches. Switches are routers and junction boxes. They take data and move it along to the next line towards it’s final
destination. Switches will do this for netrunners as well however in general net runners like to keep the location of where they are running from hidden and run complex anti-trace programs in addition to rendering tracing very difficult, the program also makes it impossible to just allow a switch to route a netrunning
signal. Special programs must be used to basically cause the switch to route incorrectly. LDLs are examples of Switches but they are no more difficult to run they any other switch. It should be noted that unless the netrunner is running the above mentioned anti-trace programs he will charged for both his local and long
distance net usage.
Visually being in a switch is a lot like being inside a 20 sided die or some other cut crystal construct. The number of sides varies depending on how many links there
are to the switch. At the center of the switch is a scintillating sphere with strands of code circling around it at high speeds, forming almost a force field look. In general Switches are fraught with little will-o-wisps. They fly in through one of the facets
orbit the sphere briefly and fly out to another facet.

Computers

Some lines don’t just connect switching stations but in fact connect directly to computers. These are the key lines that netrunners are looking for. It is the computers where netrunners perform pure magic. It is there that through
various nefarious means that a netrunner gains access to the memory of a machine and plunders a wealth of information. For more information of what is in a computer see the section on Data Fortresses.

In general the visual representation of a computer can be described as an icon surrounded by a scintillating 20ft tall wall. The Walls are representative of datawalls, while the Icon represents the inside of the computer. Both icon and
wall are on a flat surface of varying color, sometimes the ground has the classic glowing grid pattern, sometimes it’s merely a luminescent solid, other times as plain black. At about 100 to 300 meters from the data wall are stone arches that lead to and from the various lines that connect to the computer.

Micronets

There are huge number of lines that lead neither to switches nor full blown computers. These lead to the micronets. Micronets represent anything that is attached to the net without a full fledged CPU. For example the watch that sets
itself hourly according to the U.S. Naval Observatory, the Cab hailer, the GPS, the newsviewer, robotic cars, etc. All of the above are examples of micronets that can be run with the right equipment.

The image of the micronet is somewhat tricky First off is the stone archway, in front of the archway are several columns with crystalline spheres mounted on top. Occasionally beams of light pass between the crystals. The number of columns
is determine d by the number of micro-cpus (See GttN.) The plane that the micronet sits upon has the same characteristics as described for computers.