Many of you have been experiencing difficulties with the Earthlink/TogetherNet transition and are wondering if the University is considering other recommended ISP arrangements. This posting is to update everyone on the status of both topics.

1. Other ISP recommendations.

We are currently in the middle of a 'Request For Information' review process for working out arrangements with one or more ISPs. A group including CIT staff as well as representatives from other areas on campus began reviewing remote access options last fall. This process was initiated in response to changes in the traditional ISP market as well as the increased availability of high speed access. We hope to have the formal RFP process completed and new agreement(s) in place by May.

We are working with both traditional dial-up ISPs as well as providers of high-speed internet access such as Adelphia and Verizon during this review process. The goal is to have an agreement (or agreements) which would include favorable pricing for UVM affiliates, optimized remote access to UVM resources, as well as meeting defined criteria for network performance, customer service, and support.

2. Earthlink issues:

The mainstays of our agreement with TogetherNet- special pricing, special IP addresses and a direct connection to UVM's network- will be in place through the end of May.

UVM affiliate accounts are now being billed at the standard rate of $19.95 per month. HOWEVER, you should be receiving a $5 credit each month through the end of May. In addition, if you have not been paying with a credit card, you may have received a Past Due notice from Earthlink. It appears that Earthlink has missed a billing cycle during the transition, and accounts were not billed for February. Some folks who have talked to Earthlink have been told they actually owe $29.90. This would be correct, as that would be two months at $19.95 less the $5 credit each month (FEB/MAR)

IP Addressing:

If you log in to your Earthlink account using the format userid@uvm you will be able to access UVM-only resources such as the CIT software download page. If you log in to your Earthlink account using the format userid@together.net you will not be able to access UVM-only resources, but everything else should work.

Technicial Issues:

There have been some off and on problems with the '@uvm' login format but those have been resolved as of the beginning of this week. There have been occasional problems with all '@together.net' logins (specifically last Tuesday, the day of the Big Snow) but these have also been resolved. Several people have reported frequent dropped connections while logged in (using either format). If this is problematic for you, report the problem to technical support at Earthlink. I'd recommend e-mail to: support@earthlink.net. Be sure to let them know the phone number you are dialing in to.

Customer Service & Technical Support Issues:

Wait times to contact both customer service and technical support at Earthlink are very long at this time. Earthlink assures me "that the call centers are aware and are working to improve the issue.