PENN PRINTOUT
The University of Pennsylvania's Online Computing Magazine

PENN PRINTOUT November 1993 - Volume 10:3

[Printout | Contents | Search ]


ResNet report card

By Daniel Updegrove

ResNet, Penn's program to network the residence halls for high- speed Ethernet data communications, 55-channel cable television, and Penntrex phone service, is well underway. Phase 1, carried out this past summer, provides network services for nearly 1,500 students in five residence halls. Phase 2, to be accomplished next summer, calls for wiring Harrison and Harnwell Houses, two high rises housing 1,660 undergraduates.

In addition to residential networking, the ResNet program includes support for expansion of the central modem pool and electronic mail service for students in small schools. Funding for ResNet is derived from student fees, room charges, and residents' phone charges.


ResNet Phase 1

As previously reported, ResNet seeks to:

  • Provide students in residence with state-of-the-art multimedia information access and communication
  • Make on-campus living more attractive
  • Upgrade the telephone wiring plant in residences
Although visions of data networking in residences date from the mid 80s, and of video from the late 70s, final Trustee approval for ResNet Phase 1 was not secured until March of this year. Thus to deliver ResNet services by fall semester required roughly a year's worth of work to be performed in less than six months: bid solicitation; contract negotiation; construction of wiring closets and conduits; wiring; and installation of closet electronics, a new video head-end, and numerous lasers on rooftops to carry the video signal across city streets. In parallel, a new in-room software installation and telephone support team was conceived, recruited, and trained.

Five residences were selected for the initial phase: High Rise North (with 870 residents), Kings Court (210), English House (170), and Ware College House in the Quad (160), and Class of '25/Modern Languages College House (80). In addition to "a wall plate for every pillow," each living room and lounge was wired, for a total of 1,950 network connections--nearly 20 percent as many connections as PennNet had seen in the previous eight years!

Every ResNet wall plate provides live Cable TV (strictly speaking, Phase 1 is currently a "Satellite Master Antenna Television" system), Ethernet (an entire suite is activated on demand), and phone service (common line and/or private line service, available as usual through Penntrex for a fee). A cable-ready TV or VCR is required for viewing ResNet Video, which features Philadelphia area stations, University Television (UTV), popular commercial channels (ESPN, MTV, WTBS), all the channels carried on the Academic Video Network (CNN, C-SPAN, Scola, et al.), and a ResNet 24-hour-a-day movie channel.


ResNet Data Communication

To reduce infrastructure costs and complexity, ResNet offers no asynchronous or LocalTalk connections, only Ethernet, using twisted pair (10baseT) wiring. Accordingly, students wishing to connect their computers must purchase 10baseT Ethernet cards or adaptors (ranging in price from $77 to $223). Alternatively, modems can be used, but data rates are roughly 20-100 times slower, and their use ties up a phone line.

Two communications protocols are currently supported on the campus Ethernet: AppleTalk, the proprietary protocol built into every Macintosh, and TCP/IP, the PennNet/Internet standard. ResNet students with Macintoshes can use AppleTalk to share printers and files as well as send messages; at least one student makes an extensive repository of games and other software available via AppleShare.

Due to the inherent complexity of TCP/IP and the suite of software required for each hardware platform (see sidebar), ResNet provides up to two hours of in-room software installation and training, at no charge, performed by student assistants under the supervision of Data Communications and Computing Services (DCCS). ResNet assistants also install Ethernet cards, if requested.

TCP/IP requires a unique "IP address" for each computer on PennNet. To simplify software installation, and to accommodate students with laptop computers who would likely move from room to room and from building to building, DCCS (with assistance from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences) developed a new server ("BOOTP") that assigns IP addresses dynamically. The IP address works anywhere in the building, and a different address is assigned if the machine is moved to another building.


Early Experience

Although a systematic assessment of ResNet after two months would be premature, some initial experiences and insights are worthy of note:

  • ResNet seems attractive: Wired upperclass residences were effectively 100 percent occupied on September 1, whereas some unwired residences had vacancies.

  • Ethernet is popular: By September 15, over 50 percent of the suites had at least one request for activation.

  • The two-step data communication startup--Ethernet activation followed by the software installation visit--proved too complex. To simplify the process, all wall plates are likely to be activated in the future.

  • Macs are easier to network than PCs: Reflecting experience elsewhere, ResNet installers report fewer problems with Ethernet cards, software installation, and software performance on Macintoshes than on PCs, especially older PCs. A contributing factor is that some PC owners have purchased non-standard Ethernet cards instead of the supported SMC card, resulting in more complicated software installations.

  • Students have high standards on video picture quality: The ResNet hot line received numerous calls when channels were deemed fuzzy (even in a few cases in which staff reported that the picture quality exceeded their CATV service at home).

  • Some residents, lacking owner's manuals for their TVs or VCRs, have been uncertain about the cable-readiness of their sets: Non-cable- ready units only receive channels 2-13; older cable-ready sets receive only 2-36; and many fully cable-ready sets don't receive all 55 channels unless a switch is set properly. To accommodate residents with older units, the movie channel is being moved to a channel lower than 13.

  • Several incidents indicate that information about acceptable use of ResNet needs to be made more prominent. Not only are residents accountable for use of their ResNet connections by others, but also network privacy rights and commercial software copyrights must be respected. Penn's Policy with respect to the Electronic Information Environment is included in ResNet Guide to Services, PennNet PassPort, and PennInfo.

  • ResNet came just in time, from a competitive point of view: MIT, Princeton, Stanford, and other peer institutions are moving aggressively with similar programs.

  • ResNet would not have been possible without a great and sustained team effort by individuals from numerous departments around the University. ResNet is jointly administered by University Life, Information Systems and Computing, and Business Services, with substantial support from the departments of Facilities Planning and Project Management.


For More Information

For questions, comments, or suggestions about ResNet, call 898-4336 or send e-mail to resnet@pobox. Additional information and announcements about ResNet are posted in PennInfo (keyword "resnet"). To access the latest campus discussion about ResNet, check the newsgroup upenn.resnet.

DANIEL UPDEGROVE, Associate Vice Provost for Information Systems and Computing, and Executive Director of Data Communications and Computing Services, is co-chair of the ResNet Steering Committee.

Sidebar: ResNet: IP software

The TCP/IP software suite for the Macintosh in ResNet rooms includes:

  • Mac/TCP
  • NCSA/BYU Telnet v2.5 (for remote login to hosts)
  • Fetch v2.1 (an FTP client with the native Macintosh graphical user interface--GUI)
  • PennInfo v3.9p (GUI for PennInfo)
  • TurboGopher v1.07 (GUI for Gopher)
  • NewsWatcher v1.3d6 (GUI for NetNews)
Mac users needing Kermit, to download data from Franklin and PennData, for example, are advised to purchase MicroPhone Pro.

For PCs running DOS and/or Windows, a different suite of software is installed:

  • Novell's LAN Workplace for DOS v4.1 (with patch level N), which includes not only a TCP/IP "stack" but also both telnet and ftp clients
  • News client (Trumpet, DOS version, accessible from Windows)
  • MS-Kermit (DOS version, accessible from Windows) for Library downloads