Old Leverett Loses Internet Connection

Many students living in Old Leverett lost their Internet connections this past weekend.

The problem occurred when a computer network hub failed resulting in "electrical difficulties" according to Richard B. Osterberg '96, FAS director of residential computing support.

When a hub crashes the entire computer network connected to that hub goes down, thus making all Internet access impossible, according to Osterberg.

The network failure "had nothing to do with [FAS] equipment" and "has happened very rarely" in the past, according to Osterberg. He said the problems are not "anywhere near an epidemic."

Although hubs have failed in the past, Osterberg said installing a backup system is very expensive and not a feasible option to avoid similar problems in the future.

There are between 150 and 200 hubs on campus, according to Osterberg. The hubs, which can serve from 12 to 200 students, are located in the basements of individual dormitories. Students connect to the hub sites through data jacks located in their rooms.