Provided Services

Network Services ties everything together by connecting individual workstations, servers, and networks to each other. This involves hardware, software, and wires. Concomitant with networking itself are the areas of telephony and network security. These three components work hand-in-hand to provide UF with a healthy, redundant, state-of-the-art computer communications environment. NS offers campus- and state-wide network and Internet access including the UF Campus Core Backbone, Florida LambdaRail (FLR) and Internet2, Network Hardware & Configuration support, and Infrastructure "Service to the Wallplate." Ways to connect include Direct Connection, Wireless, VPN, and Walk-Up Ethernet.

Campus Network

  • Campus Core Network: Network Services manages and oversees operations of the UF campus intranet. Switches, routers, and wires link together the various buildings on campus and connect them to the outside world and to each other.
  • Wall-Plate Services: For those offices that wish it, NS offers network services to the wallplate, including 24 x 7 end-to-end monitoring and management of network performance with early detection of problems and timely response; life-cycle replacement of switches; troubleshooting of network problems; basic wireless; and Voice-over-IP services.
  • UFNet2: With virtual network technology different network environments can be deployed almost anywhere on campus. For details see the overview and supporting documents at the UFNet2 site

The Internet

  • Florida LambdaRail: Network Services helped design, implement, and now helps to manage the Florida LambdaRail (FLR) high-bandwidth optical network linking Florida's research institutions and provides a next-generation network to support large-scale research, education outreach, public/private partnerships, and information technology infrastructure essential to Florida's fast-growing economic development. NS provides 24 x 365 Network Operations Center (NOC) support for the statewide 1540-mile fiber optic network and its participants. The FLR will serve as an expanding complement to the other national networking structures available to researchers.
  • Internet2: Through FLR, we also access Internet2. UF is a charter member of Internet2, founded in 1996. UF has a connection to the Abilene Internet2 backbone network which provides nationwide high-performance networking capabilities among more than 200 Internet2 universities.

Ways to Connect

  • Direct Connection: Network managers can request direct connection through the UF campus core backbone by submitting a myIT request.
  • Wireless: UF's wireless networks give users mobility and flexibility by enabling them to access the network without being tied to a physical location. To offer the benefits of this service to the University of Florida community we have deployed a campus-wide wireless network.
  • VPN: The University of Florida Virtual Private Network (VPN) Service is designed to allow university faculty, staff, and students to securely "tunnel" into campus over commodity networks, such as the Internet, and access services as if the user were on campus. It is also ideal for use over campus wireless networks.
  • Walk-Up: The Walkup Internet Port Authentication (WIPA) system at the University of Florida is used to provide controlled network access to publicly accessible network connections, both wired and wireless. Users who access the campus wireless networks or use a computer that is in a public access area are required to login with their GatorLink account before being able to access the network. Authentication is available via the WIPA Web page interface.