Bob, endnodes in different areas can only talk to each other if there's no router present. So your scheme only works if all of us shut down all our L1 and L2 routers. We don't have to shut down all the routers on HECnet, right? Just shutting down the router for my area (or the area of anyone else who cares about the issue) would be sufficient. Once an endnode sees a router in its area ... Exactly... If there are no routers in the end node's area, then communications is direct. Routers for other areas are moot. Bob