Network services has four major components:

  • Internet Connectivity
  • Internet Security
  • Internet Performance including Wireless Conncetivity

Internet Connectivity

Network Services manages Internet connections to three different Internet providers - two commodity (commercial) Internet providers and Internet2.  There is a 3 gigabit connection from the commodity providers (1gig and 2 gig) and a 10 gigabit connection to Internet2 with increased bandwith for researchers.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

VPN allows off campus UVM employees and affiliates to access on-campus resources remotely and securely.  Install and use the Cisco AnyConnect software to allow access to the campus network.  Please go to the ETS knowledge Base https://www.uvm.edu/it/kb/article-categories/network-and-connectivity/ and click on Install the Cisco Anyconnect VPN client to download and install.

Internet Security

TNS maintains the internal and external firewalls and filters needed to protect the campus from external threats. Every day thousands of attempts are made from computers on the Internet trying to connect to systems on the UVM network.  Botnets are computers that attempt to ‘phone home’ to the controlling botnet and use UVM systems for nefarious activities such creating and sending spam or viruses or to flood a network with messages as a denial of service attack.  Firewalls and botnet filters are used to prevent and monitor this activity.

Border Firewalls

Border firewalls protect all of campus from the internet including the academic and adminsitrative computers as well as the residence halls.  No connections are allowed in from the Internet to campus computers.  There are exceptions made for servers with Firewall Waivers such as:

  • www.uvm.edu
  • catalyst.uvm.edu
  • webmail.uvm.edu
  • comis.med.uvm.edu

Internal Firewalls

Internal Firewalls protect high-value and sensitive systems from the rest of campus.  These systems include:

  •     Peoplesoft
  •     Active Directory
  •     Credit Card Systems
  •     COMIS
  •     Phone System
  •     Network Infrastructure
  •     Departments

 

Internet Performance

Wireless Connectivity

There are over 2,000 wireless access points as well as centrally managed enterprise wireless controllers.  TNS is responsible for maintaining the cabling infrastructure that each access point requires.  The access points feature automatic configuration adjustments to fine tune performance.  The signal for each access point is coordinated amongst the access points to avoid interference.  In areas where the wireless device count is very high, such as a large classroom, special access points are deployed that can handle the added wireless capacity needs.    All residence halls are completely covered by WiFi and most classrooms and administrative buildings have ubiquitous wireless.  At peak usage, the simultaneous wireless users exceed 16,000 clients.