[25836] in resnet
Re: CATV and internet bandwidth
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Benjamin Fielden)
Wed Jan 26 13:55:54 2011
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Message-ID: <AANLkTimSa4=D78gi4z8e-0YBCZ+yYsTTY6Q92q-b3Kzg@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 13:55:33 -0500
Reply-To: fieldenb@gwu.edu
From: Benjamin Fielden <fieldenb@gwu.edu>
To: RESNET-L@listserv.nd.edu
In-Reply-To: <4D406B30.6040005@calfrye.com>
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*shudder* - cable television has occupied much of my time in the last 12
months.
We have our own cable plant/headend with fiber nodes running to each of our
buildings, our service comes from RCN. Last year, RCN told us they would be
unable to continue providing us the analog feed we have been using for some
time and instead we would need to switch to a digital feed. In the process
we rebuilt our entire headend and replaced many of the nodes across campus.
The headache is that despite their initial response to our RFP indicating
that no cable boxes would be required, it was eventually settled by
attorneys at both organizations that cable boxes would be required. To that
end, RCN technicians we deployed basic DTA boxes to each of our 3500 ResHal=
l
rooms.
Now there are some benefits: students can order (directly from RCN, not
through us) channel packages, extras, or even upgrade to an HD/HD-DVR. They
love that fact. Once our full CaTV system is implemented and we actually
make it fully 2-way, they will be able to do PPV as well. Our finance group
is looking forward to a cut of RCN's revenues in that arena.
However, the fact that we don't have a 2-way system means that cable boxes
are constantly having issues. We can't tell what jack they're on, they lose
their provisioning, etc. On top of the problems of them walking away (who d=
o
we bill in the room? when did it walk away?), pieces being taken or broken.
What if one students upgrades service and then takes their upgraded serial
number with them when they leave?
It looks like we are going to be pulling all of the cable boxes out of the
rooms this spring and making students actually sign them out. This way
there's real accountability for who has what, a due date and the ability to
charge back for missing items.
--
Ben Fielden
Manager of Technology Support
Student Technology Services
Division of Information Technology
http://it.gwu.edu/sts
202-994-2597
Division of Information Technology staff members will NEVER ask for your
password!
On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 1:42 PM, Cal Frye <cjf@calfrye.com> wrote:
> On 1/26/11 1:19 PM, Crowe, Sheila wrote:
> > We have seen a
> > definite noticeable increase in our bandwidth consumption at peak times
> > and I=92m thinking that a lot of that traffic is streaming video.
>
> Yep. Half our traffic is streaming video. Last year we were discussing
> wiring plans for a new residence hall. We customarily bring coax into
> every room, but do not provide any campus-wide service. Students may
> contract with the local cable company for service if they wish. At the
> time of that discussion, out of some 2500 residential students, seven
> were cable customers. We put the coax in anyway.
> >
> > What is the next big thing in TV? Are students/users going to continue
> > to watch TV via =93traditional=94 means like CATV (probably not)? And =
if
> > not, what are we going to do to meet/mitigate the demands and effects o=
n
> > our bandwidth?
>
> Probably not ;-) We're going to have to increase our bandwidth. If your
> faculty, like ours, assign video "readings" from YouTube or other common
> sources, you can't even separate the recreational video from the
> academic. Plan accordingly.
>
> --
> Best regards
> -- Cal Frye, Network Administrator, Oberlin College
> Mudd Library, x.56930 -- CIT will NEVER ask you for your password!
>
> www.calfrye.com, www.oberlin.edu/cit/
>
> "The Puritanical nonsense of excluding children and therefore to some
> extent women from pubs has turned these places into mere boozing shops
> instead of the family gathering places that they ought to be." ---
> George Orwell.
>
> ___________________________________________________
> You are subscribed to the ResNet-L mailing list.
>
> To subscribe, unsubscribe or search the archives,
> go to http://LISTSERV.ND.EDU/archives/resnet-l.html
> ___________________________________________________
>
___________________________________________________
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*shudder* - cable television has occupied much of my time in the last 12 mo=
nths.<br><br>We have our own cable plant/headend with fiber nodes running t=
o each of our buildings, our service comes from RCN. Last year, RCN told us=
they would be unable to continue providing us the analog feed we have been=
using for some time and instead we would need to switch to a digital feed.=
In the process we rebuilt our entire headend and replaced many of the node=
s across campus.<br>
<br>The headache is that despite their initial response to our RFP indicati=
ng that no cable boxes would be required, it was eventually settled by atto=
rneys at both organizations that cable boxes would be required. To that end=
, RCN technicians we deployed basic DTA boxes to each of our 3500 ResHall r=
ooms.<br>
<br>Now there are some benefits: students can order (directly from RCN, not=
through us) channel packages, extras, or even upgrade to an HD/HD-DVR. The=
y love that fact. Once our full CaTV system is implemented and we actually =
make it fully 2-way, they will be able to do PPV as well. Our finance group=
is looking forward to a cut of RCN's revenues in that arena.<br>
<br>However, the fact that we don't have a 2-way system means that cabl=
e boxes are constantly having issues. We can't tell what jack they'=
re on, they lose their provisioning, etc. On top of the problems of them wa=
lking away (who do we bill in the room? when did it walk away?), pieces bei=
ng taken or broken. What if one students upgrades service and then takes th=
eir upgraded serial number with them when they leave?<br>
<br>It looks like we are going to be pulling all of the cable boxes out of =
the rooms this spring and making students actually sign them out. This way =
there's real accountability for who has what, a due date and the abilit=
y to charge back for missing items.<br clear=3D"all">
<div><br></div><div>--</div>Ben Fielden<div><div>Manager of Technology Supp=
ort</div><div>Student Technology Services</div><div>Division of Information=
Technology</div><div><a href=3D"http://it.gwu.edu/sts" target=3D"_blank">h=
ttp://it.gwu.edu/sts</a></div>
</div><div>202-994-2597</div><div><br></div><div><span style=3D"font-family=
:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;border-collapse:collapse">Division of Inf=
ormation Technology staff members will=A0<font color=3D"#222222">NEVER ask =
for your=A0</font>password!</span></div>
<br>
<br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 1:42 PM, Cal Fry=
e <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:cjf@calfrye.com">cjf@calfrye.com<=
/a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:=
0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<div class=3D"im">On 1/26/11 1:19 PM, Crowe, Sheila wrote:<br>
> =A0We have seen a<br>
> definite noticeable increase in our bandwidth consumption at peak time=
s<br>
> and I=92m thinking that a lot of that traffic is streaming video.<br>
<br>
</div>Yep. Half our traffic is streaming video. Last year we were discussin=
g<br>
wiring plans for a new residence hall. We customarily bring coax into<br>
every room, but do not provide any campus-wide service. Students may<br>
contract with the local cable company for service if they wish. At the<br>
time of that discussion, out of some 2500 residential students, seven<br>
were cable customers. We put the coax in anyway.<br>
<div class=3D"im">><br>
> What is the next big thing in TV? =A0Are students/users going to conti=
nue<br>
> to watch TV via =93traditional=94 means like CATV (probably not)? =A0A=
nd if<br>
> not, what are we going to do to meet/mitigate the demands and effects =
on<br>
> our bandwidth?<br>
<br>
</div>Probably not ;-) =A0We're going to have to increase our bandwidth=
. If your<br>
faculty, like ours, assign video "readings" from YouTube or other=
common<br>
sources, you can't even separate the recreational video from the<br>
academic. Plan accordingly.<br>
<br>
--<br>
Best regards<br>
-- Cal Frye, Network Administrator, Oberlin College<br>
=A0 Mudd Library, x.56930 -- CIT will NEVER ask you for your password!<br>
<br>
=A0 <a href=3D"http://www.calfrye.com" target=3D"_blank">www.calfrye.com</=
a>, =A0<a href=3D"http://www.oberlin.edu/cit/" target=3D"_blank">www.oberli=
n.edu/cit/</a><br>
<br>
"The Puritanical nonsense of excluding children and therefore to some<=
br>
extent women from pubs has turned these places into mere boozing shops<br>
instead of the family gathering places that they ought to be." ---<br>
George Orwell.<br>
<br>
___________________________________________________<br>
<div><div></div><div class=3D"h5">You are subscribed to the ResNet-L mailin=
g list.<br>
<br>
To subscribe, unsubscribe or search the archives,<br>
go to <a href=3D"http://LISTSERV.ND.EDU/archives/resnet-l.html" target=3D"_=
blank">http://LISTSERV.ND.EDU/archives/resnet-l.html</a><br>
___________________________________________________<br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br>
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<p>
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