Why is the FSC internet so unreliable?

A student searches for answers to students' grievances

By: Kelsey Tressler

Posted: 11/20/09

We all have complaints. No matter what major or grade we are, there are always things that bother us. This bi-weekly article will attempt to address those issues.

Complaint: "The internet and the portal are completely unreliable. We need to register for classes and do assignments online, and half the time it doesn't even work," Emily Otero, a sophomore, said.

FSC is aware of the problems with the internet and has been taking steps to fix it, according to Chief Information Officer John Thomas Livingston.

There were more significant problems earlier in the year, both with the firewall and with the bandwidth. FSC nearly doubled the bandwidth and upgraded the firewall to a new computer with more processors.

FSC also added new licenses to the firewall so that more people can access the Internet.

"Now there are more computers and devices connecting to the internet," Livingston said. "We bumped up the licenses so that there can be more active users."

Using a system called Packeteer, FSC can measure the amount of traffic on the Internet. The overall traffic sometimes peaks during busy times, but on average it stays below the bandwidth and firewall limit.

The only limit FSC has set on internet usage is for "peer-to-peer traffic," or downloading sites like Limewire.

"Sites like Limewire open up computer connections," Livingston said. "We limited the number of connections to 100. When you're just surfing the internet, you'd have to work hard to open up 15."

The limit keeps FSC from receiving notices from record companies because of illegal downloading. There are no limits on streaming video and there are no restricted sites.

There are numerous causes for poor Portal access. Sometimes it is the site itself, but sometimes it also has to due with the computer.

"We encourage people to contact the help desk when they have problems with the Portal," Livingston said. "It could be a lot of things."

There were hardware issues with the Portal last year. FSC duplicated all of the Portal hardware over the summer, so there is backup hardware.

Some students remain skeptical of the internet connection, despite the enhancements.

"Even with all the changes, it still doesn't always work," Otero said. "It took us a lot longer to register for classes because of the internet, and it's really not acceptable for a college to have such a poor connection."

"If the internet is slow, it could have to do with the user's computer," Tom Brennan, a computer lab monitor said. "It could also be a busier time, when a lot of students are online."

The wireless in the dorms is FSC's wireless, according to Brennan. The wireless in places like the library and the Wellness Center is provided through the city of Lakeland.

"That's why students are recommended to use an Ethernet cord in the dorms," Brennan said. "The city's wireless is faster for general use, but FSC's internet is better for using the Portal."

Teachers are still encouraged to use the Portal for assignments in their classes.

"We had problems last year, and we took steps not to have those problems again," Livingston said.