University networks
throughout the University of GA system receive an unbelievable amount
of probes from file sharing users all over the world on a daily basis…tens
of thousands a day, in fact. Why is this happening?
Many users on
campuses, (as well as over 90% of dormitory residents), have installed
file-sharing applications such as Kazaa, Morpheus, and AudioGalaxy
on their University computers. File-sharing users all over the globe
then search for music, audio, and other types of files they can upload
to their systems. Thus, on a daily basis, thousands of files are uploaded
from campus users' computers and directed to the requestors over the
internet. All of this activity has a cost to our universities in terms
of bandwidth utilization and the ever-growing challenge of supplying
sufficient bandwidth to power University applications and research
projects that compete with these file sharing applications. Network
bandwidth is not free-Universities pay for it.
If you or another
campus user you know, utilizes any of these file sharing applications
you can assist in reducing the number of probes received from internet
users as well as the staggering amounts of file uploads from our University
computers. How? Configure your file sharing software to "disallow"
your computer from being used as a distribution point, or in other
words, a file sharing server. The point is, you want to download files
but you don't want others to upload files they find on your computers.
Taking this simple
step can lower network bandwidth usage. As more users follow suit,
larger amounts of network bandwidth are redistributed where needed-to
power University applications, educational programs and research.
Please do your part today to ensure that your file sharing applications
are not set up to allow internet users to upload files from your University
computers.