Abby May, Guest Writer~
Lynchburg College students and faculty are concerned about internet service on campus following multiple internet blackouts.
Junior Nicole Chandler said, “Usually the Wi-Fi is well connected to my devices, but after certain times of the day it is incredibly hard to connect in Schewel Hall.” Chandler said, “One time after finishing a paper I tried to turn it in and the Wi-Fi was completely down. I had to wait until the next day to turn it in.”
Students have also taken to Twitter to voice their concerns.
Communication Studies Professor Dr. Jimmy Roux said, “We need to step it up because Wi-Fi is far too important, and we are dependent on it to get everything that we do done.”
“As a professor who gives students assignments that need Wi-Fi, I have to have leniency when giving work, because the assignments require an internet connection and if they can’t do it then I also can’t give feedback,” said Roux.
Director of Information, Technology, and Resources Jackie Almond said, “The reason the internet connection went out so many times last semester was because the pipe that delivers the connection was over 13 years old. Too many people would get on the internet and the Wi-Fi itself was on a smaller secondary switch that was not a part of the main internet feed.” This problem was also the reason for slow internet browsing.
Almond noted, “people did not take the time to properly authenticate.” The IT department has indicated that many people attempt to connect to the internet too quickly and forget to make sure they have put in their password to correctly and safely allow access to the Wi-Fi connection that the school provides.
This semester the IT department has replaced the network switch, the newer internet pipe should allow for a faster connection.
LC currently uses CenturyLink, as the campus-wide provider. However, Almond said IT has been in contact with other vendors like Lumos and Comcast to get pricing for another possible connection.
Almond said that IT is working diligently to have a solution for an even better internet connection in place for the new school year.
