Volume 3. No 2 Information Technology News of the University of California, Davis Winter 1995

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Modem Pool Expands to Meet Demand for Network Services

by Dick Kaye, Communications Resources

For those of us who rely on collecting and disseminating information, connecting to the campus network -- and the Internet -- is no longer a luxury. It is a necessity.

Although campus infrastructure has been expanded and the migration to a computing-intensive environment has been brisk and steady, providing network access continues to be a challenge -- especially when it comes to those who depend on modems.

The campus data network (UCDNet) and the number of local area networks (LANs) connected to it has grown tremendously in the last five years. In 1989, 17 buildings on campus were connected to UCDNet. Now more than 72 campus buildings have direct network access. Once in place, Network 21 will add nearly 200 more campus buildings to the equation.

The growth in local a networks has been paralleled by growth in the campus modem pool.

In 1992 Carole Barone, newly appointed as Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology, forecasted a huge and inevitable growth in the demand for modem access. To meet the campus need, she initiated a crash project to increase the size of the campus modem pool. Her prediction has proven correct, and since then, the campus modem pool has more than quadrupled in size. The current modem pool consists of 372 modems, the bulk of which provide nominal 14.4 kbps service.

Modems are especially popular among those who work at home or who need network access while traveling. Once used mainly to access e-mail, modems are now used to reach a burgeoning number of online information resources. Despite efforts to accommodate modem traffic, many modem users still encounter gridlock (busy signal) at times. The explanation is simple: for every originating modem there must be a corresponding receiver. While the number of receivers -- or gateways -- continues to increase, so do the number of users, creating an upward spiral in which supply and demand are never in perfect balance.

Usage data compiled by Communications Resources suggests that human behavior plays an important role as well. As one might expect, modem pool usage is heaviest during the afternoon and evening hours and tapers off between 2 and 7 a.m. Suggesting users work in the middle of the night to avoid gridlock is an unrealistic demand, so other alternatives must be explored.

Exploring Alternatives

• Encourage the establishment of departmental LANs. Estimates based on available data suggest that there are hundreds of individuals on campus who use modems because they cannot access the network through a departmental LAN. Establishing a local area network can provide a department with network access and work to streamline other administrative functions as well.

• Outsource network access to bureaus or providers who could act as Internet gateways for both modem users and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Centrex subscribers. The access providers would own and operate the access facilities and charge for services on a usage-sensitive basis. Certainly worth mentioning is the Davis Community Network, a consortium dedicated to serving the Davis community with network access alternatives. UC Davis is a sponsor and partner in that effort, which recently launched a pilot program designed to test the concept of third-party network access provisioning.

• Provide network access via Cable Television (CATV) facilities. Wireless providers could also serve as a source for direct connection to the Internet.

• Find ways to prevent users from "camping" on the network. This process could begin by educating users that the network is a shared resource and encouraging them to log off when not using network resources. A software program could identify those who fail to log off the network. While some may interpret this as "policing" the network, it may be an effective means of traffic control.

UC Davis is not alone when it comes to dealing with the network access issue. The University of California Office of the President (UCOP) is drafting a Request for Proposal that invites commercial network providers to propose innovative solutions to this increasingly-complex situation. The list of potential subscribers on a University-wide basis could be huge in terms of the economies of scale that might be realized.

Network service is vital to the entire University community -- both on and off campus. Meeting the challenge of providing that service presents some new and interesting opportunities. Suggestions from the campus community are welcome. Please forward them to the ITAAC Modem Subcommittee by sending e-mail to gawsmith@ucdavis.edu.

Note: The next issue of the I.T. Times will report on the progress of the ITAAC Modem Subcommittee. Data on campus modem usage also will be published.