Network Rules

To ensure a high quality infrastructure for your academic purposes and consistent with the Acceptable Use Policy, bandwidth limits constituting an abuse of the University Internet connections are defined as follows:

• Downloading in excess of (4096 Megabytes/7 days) from the Internet
• Uploading in excess of (2048 Megabytes/7 days) to the Internet

Each dorm resident is permitted to download 4096 MB and upload 2048 MB to the Internet (outside Rutgers) in any given seven-day sliding window period.  Downloading or uploading in excess of either limit will automatically suspend your computer's connection to the Internet.  You will retain access to the university's internal network and its resources (http://*.rutgers.edu) regardless of this restriction.

Traffic to and from sites within the Rutgers network (http://*.rutgers.edu) does not count towards the upload or download limits.

Each day following enforcement of the restriction, the system will reevaluate your traffic to the previous seven days.  When your total traffic drops below the upload and download bandwidth quotas, the restriction will be lifted, and you computer will regain full access to the Internet, including sites outside the Rutgers network. 

Each resident is responsible for all traffic occurring on his or her IP address.  Many activities generate traffic to and from the Internet, such as web-cams, watching TV shows online (such as Hulu, NBC, YouTube, etc.), audio and video streams, voice over IP or VoIP (e.g. Skype), AIM, etc.  File transfers or peer-to-peer file sharing software may also cause you to exceed your bandwidth quota.  In is the resident's responsibility to monitor their usage periodically using the Bandwidth Tool (below).

Please note that the bandwidth enforcement process is automated.  As per the Acceptable Use Policy, to which all residents agree during registration, ResNet is unable to make exceptions to the bandwidth policy.

• Bandwidth Tool
• Net Security

Below is a list of things that specifically are NOT allowed from computers in the Dorm Network.

• FTP servers containing copyrighted material (Software, MP3 Files, etc)
• Excessive amounts of data, either inbound, our outbound.
• Web servers containing commercial content or for commercial purposes.
• Mail Servers, you cannot run a mail server on your computer.
• Providing Network connections to ANYONE else. If your room-mate wants a connection, they can get their own. It is perfectly OK to allow someone else to use your computer, you just cannot extend the Network to other people.
• Ping attacks on other computers.
• Servers and or programs that end up using LOTS of bandwidth.
• Attempting to access computers you do not have accounts on.
• Registering your TCP/IP address with outside Domain Name Services.
• Running 'Bots (Robots) of any kind doing anything to other computers, especially IRC bots.

Below is a list of things that we recommend against because of bandwidth:

• File sharing software. (e.g. KaZaA, Morpheus, WinMX)
• Please be aware that file transfers via messaging programs (like AIM, Yahoo Instant Messenger, GAIM, Microsoft Messenger and others) travel across the Internet. Therefore, such activity counts toward your Internet usage.
• Running X-Windows to other machines over the network for long periods of time. Please quit out of X-Windows when you are finished. Do not let it run when not actively using X-Windows.
• X-Terminals. If you have an X-Terminal, you MUST shut it off when not in use. X-Terminals puts a huge load on the network.
• Do NOT run X-Lock across the network. 
• Large amounts of traffic are typically generated by applications including web-cams, streaming media, watching videos (e.g. YouTube), AIM file transfers, or peer to peer/file sharing software. VoIP (Voice over IP) provided by companies such as Vonage also uses bandwidth outside of the Rutgers network and counts against residents’ bandwidth quotas.  Residents should take measures to limit their use of these applications to ensure they stay within the ResNet bandwidth quotas. Some peer to peer software (e.g. Bearshare, Limewire, etc.) may continue to run and transmit data after it appears to have been closed. If using a wireless router, residents must take measures such as MAC address filtering to secure their connection against unauthorized access. (Please refer to your router documentation for instructions on properly securing your device.)