Mike Strong, Arts & Living Editor
Internet access at Kennesaw State University has always been a bit of a wild card. One day it works great, and then horribly the next. Many different factors affect the usability of this service and there has never been a clear explanation from KSU as to what makes the school’s Wi-Fi tick. Nickolaus Hassis from University Information Technology Services (UITS) answered a few of our burning questions in order to give students a clearer understanding of why the service might have trouble on occasion.
First and foremost, students should always be wary of the peak internet usage hours on campus. These fall between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
“At this time, Internet usage is on a first-come first-serve basis with no defined cap,” Hassis said. “KSU UITS proactively monitors the capacity for each Wi-Fi access point and adjusts the quantity prior to usage as needed.” In short, this means that UITS is aware of the locations that have the slowest access due to high traffic and makes an effort to beef up those locations before the peak hours begin.”
Internet in the on-campus housing units has also had trouble as of late. Students report issues of not being able to use the Internet on two devices in tandem. Students also complain about one roommate’s Internet usage negatively affecting the others’ Internet speeds by a great amount. When asked about the interworking of KSU Housing Wi-Fi, Hassis duly pointed out that housing Internet is outside the scope of KSU’s central IT-UITS. So any issues that you might have with internet in an on-campus housing unit must be taken up with their separate IT department. Hassis did note, however, that on KSU Wi-Fi, all devices are treated equally for authenticated users. So there should be no slowdown for anyone using multiple devices on campus internet.
Regarding outdoor Internet access in locations such as the Campus Green and courtyards, KSU Wi-Fi has seemingly been beefing up its reach. But there still seem to be times and locations where signals are dropped.
“The outdoor Wi-Fi project has been a priority since 2010,” Hassis said. “New access points have been distributed across the entire campus, providing outdoor service in all green spaces and high traffic areas. The environment is continuously being assessed and we are continually adding to and improving this outdoor service.” So things should be improving, and as students, we have the voice to aid these improvements. If you find an area with spotty access or would like to suggest a new service location on the main campus, aside from housing areas, contact UITS at studenthelpdesk@kennesaw.edu or call 470-578-3555.
KSU is an evolving university, and so are its services. It is surely very easy to sit around and complain about how bad our Wi-Fi is, but understand that improving it is a process. UITS is here to help us when the Internet fails. In the same respect, we should be there to help them keep these issues from arising. Take note of the places on campus that you tend to Yik Yak about the “horrible Wi-Fi” most often. Next time, shoot an email to UITS instead of preaching to the choir. It will take time for KSU’s Wi-Fi service to expand to meet the influx of new students every year. We can help speed up that process by keeping ourselves and the technicians informed.
