Off-campus internet revealed
- posted: 05 June 2007
- scrolllifestyle@byui.edu
It is 12 o’clock at night: you sit down at your computer ready to start that pile of homework you have been putting off and realize that the Internet is down again, or it goes so slow that you cannot possibly get everything finished. Finally you give up, with the infamous question on your mind—why does the Internet go down exactly when you need it the most?
“It seems like there is never constant Internet access. Whenever I need it, it’s always down. It is hard, especially when you have Blackborad assignments and online tests,” said Jessica Richards, a sophomore from Washington, D.C.
Many factors cause networks to crash or slow down. One of the biggest problems is when the trouble is in the student’s own computer. “80 to 90 percent of the time the problem actually resides in the student’s computer,” said Dave Thompson, the manager of an Internet provider company, Block-it.
The Internet can be slowed down if a computer is not configured correctly to the network or if there are viruses on the computer. “Of students’ computers, 85% have one or more things wrong with them concerning viruses and spyware, or the computer is not properly configured to the internet,” said Thompson.
Another reason why the Internet network may go down, or be slow, is that students do things that violate their contracts with the complexes they live in. For example, if a student attempts to visit a restricted Web site, then the network providers shut down that area in order to stop the violation.
The biggest violation of contracts is when students use file-sharing programs such as LimeWire.
“File-sharing is not only violating the Honor Code, but depending on what you are downloading, it is against the law and is a federal offence,” Thompson said.
File-sharing programs can cause a lot of problems for the internet network. A complex only has a certain amount of bandwidth, and having LimeWire and other file sharing programs will greatly reduce the amount of bandwidth.
“Even if the program is loaded and not running, it will still slow down your computer’s internet,” said Spencer Cook, an off-campus housing network administrator.
Some network providers, if they detect that a student is using a file-sharing program will reduce the bandwidth allotted to that student, or will shut down the student’s connection altogether.
Many students living in approved housing are simply unaware of the conditions surrounding their internet connection.
“The internet provided for the students is very delicate and fragil, said According to Jessica Pace, Director of Operations for Rexburg Housing. “It has so many variables that the best way to keep the internet up and running is for students to simply abide by the contracts they signed and to keep the promises they made in those contracts.”
