The following letter was sent to residents of West Campus and Storke Campus Apartments on April 15, 2000.
Dear West Campus and Storke Campus Community Member:
Housing & Residential Services and Communications Services are pleased to announce a joint project that will bring high-speed
ResNet data connections to your West Campus and Storke Campus apartment community. Our current target date for project completion is the beginning of Fall Quarter 2000, with internal infrastructure work beginning May 8, 2000 and actual installations starting in July 2000 and continuing throughout this summer.
With ResNet, you can connect to all UCSB computer resources (like
Melvyl, U-mail, and research laboratories) and the Internet. What's more, Housing & Residential Services will be providing the Internet connection service and cable modem
free to you, our valued community member. Unlike conventional modems,
ResNet connections will be made via cable modems using cable television wiring; therefore your telephone line will no longer be busy while you are connected to the Internet.
ResNet will connect you to campus much faster than a dial-up service ever could.
Question: Do I need to have cable television service prior to
or jointly with ResNet service?
Answer: No. Cable television service is an option independent of
ResNet service.
Question: Will I need additional hardware for my computer to link to the cable modem?
Answer: Yes. You will need to purchase an Ethernet card to link the modem with your computer.
As you might already know, we have already started the ResNet project. For the past several months, Communications Services has been replacing and/or upgrading the cable television "backbone" infrastructure in both the West Campus and Storke Campus complexes. The next step is to replace the individual cable drops that serve each apartment in West Campus, and to survey the current condition of the cable and fittings in the Storke Campus community.
In order to use cable modems, the cable television infrastructure must be in as good a condition as possible and every attempt must be made to minimize the introduction of excessive "noise" to the system. The cable that currently supports cable television service in West Campus, while adequate for cable television service alone, would not have supported a cable modem system due to its age and exposure over the years. Now that the "backbone" has been upgraded, the project calls for replacing the cabling to each apartment, as well as installing a new main drop inside each apartment. This will necessitate at least two service calls to each West Campus apartment.
At the Storke Campus apartments, Communications Services will need to visit each apartment to survey the condition of the interior wiring, and to make "signal level" tests to determine if any repairs and/or corrections to wiring will be needed to support cable modems. If repairs and/or alterations are needed, Communications Services will need to schedule additional service visits.
This notice is only an introduction to the ResNet
project. We will be sending updates and detailed schedules to you as inspection and construction dates approach for your specific area. We will also be sending information on how and when to sign up for the installation of the actual cable modems, if you choose to have an active
ResNet connection in your apartment.
Installing and testing the cable may cause some inconvenience for some residents. Our Housing & Residential Services
and Communications Services staff will make every effort to keep disruptions to a minimum. If you have any questions or comments regarding this project, please feel free to contact us at your convenience at help@commserv.ucsb.edu.
We wish to thank you in advance for your continued support, cooperation and understanding.
PTV
