Network Upgrade 2020 Archived Announements

January 15, 2020

As we migrate the network in each building, please keep in mind the following:

• Network printers and copiers will not be available in the building at some time during the day of the migration scheduled for the building. We are sorry that we cannot provide an exact time for the maintenance.

• All desktop computers must be powered on and remain powered on during the transition for them to obtain the new network configuration.

• Mac computers (college-owned desktops and college-owned laptops): please log into macOS computers using your full Amherst College email address as the username everywhere on campus. This is required by the new network. macOS will automatically associate your full email address with your existing profile on the computer. Your files and preferences in macOS will remain the same, but this change will enable network connectivity with the new network.

• Computers plugged into the ONTs (small white boxes) will not move to the new network at this time. 

We have created a website that contains detailed information about the network migration. Please contact us at AskIT@amherst.edu, if you have any questions or concerns.

The network upgrade is progressing.  The next major step will occur the morning of Friday, November 15, between 6 am and 8 am.  During IT’s normal weekly maintenance period that morning, as during any technology project, there is always some chance of a brief service outage. If you have any questions about this maintenance, please contact AskIT@amherst.edu.

Networking Hardware

The main networking switches for the new network have been installed in all campus buildings. Installation continues for about two dozen secondary switches around campus.

In the near future (tentative date, August 5) we will begin cutting over to the new networking infrastructure, one building at a time. Initially we will do one building a day, but the pace will vary depending upon the size and complexity of the building(s). We will publish the schedule of building cutovers on this page as soon as it becomes available.

Once we begin cutover the College will have some buildings running on the old infrastructure and some on the new. We expect the two networks to interoperate smoothly until we complete the building cutover process.

WiFi Changes

A significant change you will see on the wireless side will be the elimination of the Amherst_Secure WiFi network. The Amherst network will become our guest network, and Eduroam will become the standard, secure WiFi network for the Amherst College community. Eduroam has the same security and performance as Amherst_Secure, with the advantage that if you sign onto Eduroam at Amherst you can then access the Eduroam network on thousands of educational institutions worldwide. 

In anticipation of this change we recommend that you begin using Eduroam as your default WiFi network at Amherst.

UPDATE: As of July 19 all new networking hardware has been installed in campus buildings.

The table lists the status of hardware installation for the new Amherst network as of July 11. We've installed new networking hardware in most buildings, though some large ones--such as the Science Center--remain. 

When we've scheduled when a building will cutover to the new network core, we will publish the information here. The cutover process will result in a disruption of networking services in the affected building.

Installed​

August 12, 2019

IMPORTANT: Beginning immediately, everyone should begin using the eduroam WiFi network on campus. Both the Amherst_Secure and Amherst WiFi networks are going away. Be prepared by joining all your WiFi devices to eduroam today!

IMPORTANT: If you use a college-owned Macintosh computer please start logging into the computer with your full Amherst email address as the username instead of simply your Amherst username. You'll still wind up in the same profile on the computer and will see all your usual files and folders, but this change will be necessary to identify you on the new network.

On Thursday, August 15, [postponed until October 26] Seely Mudd will be the first building to cut over to the new network. People with offices in the building will be notified directly about steps they can take to ensure a smooth transition. Only after thorough testing and evaluation of the Seeley Mudd pilot program will be begin cutting over other buildings to the new network. Seeley Mudd was chosen for a variety of reasons, including extensive IT presence in the building and that the building also houses technology that is used elsewhere on campus, so we can detect and address any issues that may arise from the migration. We will contact offices as we proceed with the network migration at other locations, which we expect to resume after add/drop.

Note that after the transition the Amherst and Amherst _Secure networks will not be available in Seeley Mudd. If you have a meeting or other business in the building please prepare in advance by joining your WiFi devices to eduroam.

On October 26 all the Ethernet ports in Seeley Mudd were moved to the new network. Macintosh users are reminded to use their email address as their username when logging into their computers.

The next step for Seeley Mudd is moving any optical networking components in the building to the new network.