A synchronous optical network (SONET) system having multi-hierarchal network service access point (NSAP) addressing includes electrically linked network elements (NEs) and first and second level routing areas which each include at least one NE. The NEs include devices having respective NSAP addresses and at least one of the NEs is a network controller that controls the SONET. The first level routing area and the second level routing areas are based on a predetermined prioritization of the NEs as first level NEs and second level NEs, and have a first level routing and having a second level routing for the NSAP addresses, respectively. Each NSAP address includes a Routing Domain field and an Area field filled with information indicative of a respective Internet Protocol (IP) address.