GW axes modem access
Off-campus Internet users will no longer be able to dial into the GWIS system using a modem after Jan. 1, 2000.
Dave Swartz, the chief information officer of Information Systems and Services, said the modem pool system is not Year-2000-compliant.
The University was forced to decide whether to spend $100,000 to create a new one or eliminate the system.
The elimination of the modem pool affects only about 100 people, Swartz said.
We don’t believe it will be a technical challenge for people to get access, he said.
Students will be able to access GWIS2 and Telnet through the Internet.
You won’t lose anything as a result of this service, Swartz said.
Faculty and staff will have Internet access though Ethernet connections in their offices.
Off-campus users will have to set up an account with external Internet service providers. Swartz recommends free ISPs such as dotNow!, Altavista FreeAccess and Free PC. There are also low-cost alternatives like Erols, A+net and CAIS.
There are all these free services available, Swartz said. That’s why we’re moving ahead in this fashion.
Swartz’s office made a deal with Flashcom, a direct subscriber line, which will allow current modem users to connect with speeds up to 640K (kilobytes per second) for a discounted rate.
-Philip Longo