Maine Awarded Major $30 Million Broadband Grant
Competitive Award to Accelerate Access to Quality Internet AUGUSTA – The Maine Connectivity Authority has earned a new $30 million federal grant to improve broadband infrastructure in Maine. The competitive grant will fund 530 miles of “middle mile” infrastructure, which are regional fiber optic lines that are able to carry large amounts of data at high speeds over long distances to provide internet connectivity to homes and businesses. Maine’s successful grant application is bringing together key partners, including Networkmaine of the University of Maine System, in a $53 million project to construct the Maine Online Optical Statewide Enabling Network (MOOSE Net). The funding comes from National Telecommunications Information Administration’s (NTIA) Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program. The $1 billion program received over $7.5 billion of requests, and Maine’s proposal was one of 32 selected from a pool of more than 260 applications. “This grant will fund the construction of critical broadband infrastructure that will bring Maine closer to ensuring that anyone in Maine who wants a fast, affordable, reliable internet connection can have one. Work completed by the Maine Connectivity Authority in support of that goal positioned our state well to secure funding in what was an extremely competitive process,” said Governor Janet Mills. “I thank the NTIA for its continued support of expanding connectivity in Maine, and the Maine Congressional Delegation for their work to make this funding possible.” MOOSE Net’s expansion of Networkmaine‘s optical network will deploy open-access fiber “highways” that provide an essential backbone network to enable last-mile providers to increase their coverage, reduce costs, help fortify digital infrastructure to prevent outages and advance the competitiveness of rural communities. “Access to high-speed Internet is critical to the vitality of rural communities, which is why I have long championed expanding access to broadband across Maine,” said Senator Collins. “From spurring job creation to supporting telemedicine and education, the Internet unlocks almost endless benefits and possibilities. I was one of the core group of Senators who negotiated the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help bridge the digital divide between rural and urban areas. I am pleased that this funding, which was included in the broadband section I co-authored with Senator Shaheen, will help Maine to take another step forward to extend its high-speed network to ensure that families have a reliable connection to their loved ones, coworkers, schools, and medical services.” The 530-mile route crosses 131 communities, passing more than 11,000 unserved houses and local businesses. It will reach more than 200 community anchor institutions, including schools, hospitals, libraries, local government buildings and civic centers. “This investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law demonstrates Maine’s leadership in improving access to broadband internet,” said US Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who was also a co-author of the Middle Mile Broadband Deployment Act that was incorporated into the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. “This award will help to fill an important need in our state, and I will continue to work with my colleagues on programs that will expand access to broadband and help to close the digital divide.” Maine’s low population density and rural geography make it difficult to attract the same private middle mile investment that other states have seen over the past two decades. MOOSE Net will facilitate affordable broadband access to thousands of households along the route and ensure Maine has the 21st-century broadband infrastructure businesses need to thrive and grow. “With this grant award, Maine is demonstrating its national leadership in the expansion of high-speed, reliable and affordable internet,” said Andrew Butcher, president of the Maine Connectivity Authority. “MOOSE Net is a key part of providing the connectivity infrastructure that will enable critical last mile internet service and help connect Maine’s diverse industries.” The University of Maine System (UMS) and Networkmaine are key partners on the proposal, which was also developed in collaboration with the Maine Department of Transportation, Consolidated Communications, Tilson Technology, dozens of other regional entities, leading statewide internet service providers and telecommunication companies. “We are delighted to partner with the MCA on this exciting endeavor,” said David Demers, Chief Information Officer for UMS and an ex-officio MCA board member. “As we continue to strive to provide Maine’s research & education community with high-performance network connectivity essential for innovation, collaboration, and economic growth, the development of MOOSE Net will help us connect the state’s community anchor institutions with affordable and reliable Internet access.” The proposal contained more than 40 letters of support from various sectors, including large employers, internet service providers, regional partners, communities and many others. These partners will provide a mix of cash and in-kind support (e.g., access to telecommunications infrastructure, staff and equipment) to best position MOOSE Net for success and rapid deployment. “Investing in broadband infrastructure is another important way to connect people, just as our transportation system connects us all,” said Bruce Van Note, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation. “Partnering with MCA on this project is a key way for our team to work collaboratively with other agencies to improve the economic opportunity and quality of life for the people of Maine.” Maine Connectivity Authority will celebrate this award, along with other upcoming announcements, at a press event in late June. More information will be forthcoming. Additional Resources:High Resolution map of the proposed Moose Net middle mile NetworkMCA Middle Mile PageNTIA Press Release
Bad Umbrella Roaming Client for Mac (ver. 2.2.544)
Networkmaine is aware of issues with Cisco Umbrella, previously known as OpenDNS, specific to Macbooks. When a Macbook running the Umbrella Roaming Client is updated to Roaming Client version 2.2.544, there is a chance it will break DNS resolution on that Macbook. When this happens, to the user it will appear that the Macbook is unable to connect to the internet. The problematic update has been pulled from Umbrella’s servers, so no machine should be automatically updated to this version at this point. For this reason, if you have not encountered this issue as of yet, it is unlikely that you will be affected. Additionally, if you have not deployed the Umbrella Roaming Client to any Macbook computers, you will not be affected by this issue. We have gotten reports that affected machines may be fixed by updating the roaming client to version 2.2.548, along with either (a) creating a new network location in network preferences, and/or (b) removing the 10.0.0.1 mapping for DNS in network preferences. If this does not work for you, please feel free to reach out to our support for further assistance. If possible, please provide a diagnostic report from an affected machine: https://support.umbrella.com/hc/en-us/articles/234692027-Umbrella-Diagnostic-Tool A direct link to the 2.2.548 version can be found here: https://disthost.umbrella.com/roaming/upgrade/mac/stage/RoamingClient_MAC_2.2.548.pkg.zip As machines may be unable to access the above link, we are providing an alternate link which does not require DNS to work: http://130.111.32.130/RoamingClient_MAC_2.2.548.pkg.zip There is also information being shared between schools on the ACTEM list – if you are subscribed to this list, it may be good to check there for any additional information.Umbrella has some information on the updates here: https://support.umbrella.com/hc/en-us/articles/360057411011-Roaming-Client-for-macOS-Version-2-2-544If we receive any additional information that may help in resolving this issue, we will pass it along. Update: February 26, 2021 3:00pm We’ve received word from Umbrella that the following steps should fix any remaining issues: In MacOS, go to System Preferences > Network > Advanced Click the DNS tab In the left-hand pane, there will be a space for DNS servers. If there a selectable entry for 127.0.0.1, select it and click the minus (“-“) button to clear it from the list. If entry changes to greyed out text that is not selectable, this should be okay as long as it is not a selectable entry This should allow Umbrella to begin working again. To avoid a repeat, make sure you are upgraded to 2.2.548. If a machine is already upgraded to 2.2.544 and is then upgraded to 2.2.548 before a reboot, the issue should not occur. Please let us know if you try these steps and are still having trouble with the Umbrella client. Update: March 17, 2021 10:00am Umbrella has released an update for the MacOS Roaming Client. Information on the update can be found in the bulletin here: https://support.umbrella.com/hc/en-us/articles/360057411011 In summary, this is the latest release in a series of updates aimed at resolving an issue with the client on MacOS systems. Deployed clients may start to receive this update automatically. If you wish to install the update manually as a test, a link is available through the page above. If you do install this update, we would like to hear your experience with the update.
Networkmaine, MDOE Upgrading 301 PreK-12 Schools to Gigabit Speeds
Pandemic exposes growing need to improve broadband connectivity for remote learning ORONO, MAINE (Dec. 30, 2020) – Networkmaine, a unit of the University of Maine System responsible for the design and operation of Maine’s research and education network (MaineREN) that delivers high-speed Internet and technology services to support education, research, public service, government and economic development throughout the state, announced today a partnership with the Maine Department of Education to upgrade network connections at preK-12 schools through the Maine School and Library Network (MSLN) project. Internet connections at an estimated 301 preK-12 schools have or will receive upgrades as part of the project. Follow this link for a coverage map of schools receiving upgrades. “COVID’s effects on our education systems in Maine and throughout the country are well-documented,”said Jeff Letourneau, executive director of Networkmaine. “Many schools in our state have been connected at 100 Mbps or lower as their previous use of the Internet didn’t demand any more than that amount.” In Maine schools remote and hybrid learning models are driving the need for additional bandwidth especially at the elementary level. In order to implement safety requirements that have proven to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19, many-school districts are using some form of hybrid learning where half of the student body is in the classroom and the other half participate remotely. “The heavy usage of video conferencing has dramatically increased bandwidth consumption at schools, necessitating the upgrades to gigabit speeds,” explained Letourneau. “Since early on in this pandemic student connectivity has been a top priority,” said Beth Lambert, Director of Innovative Teaching and Learning at the Maine Department of Education. “Maine’s teachers and administrators have been working tirelessly to adapt and, in many cases, learn new skills in order to teach their students during this disruption. I am proud that we are able to provide this upgrade and remove the barrier of limited bandwidth and allow educators to reach their students without interruption.” Through MaineREN, Networkmaine provides Internet access, email, web hosting, and other technology services to almost 1,000 preK-12 schools and libraries across the State of Maine. The MSLN Gigabit Upgrade project started in November, and to date there are 112 upgrades complete – all upgrades to schools are scheduled for completion by April 2021. “NetworkMaine does a fantastic job supporting Internet access for Maine’s schools,” added Vince Vanier, Technology Coordinator for the Madawaska School Department. “We would be in a world of hurt without it.” Networkmaine was able to leverage E-Rate funding to bring bandwidth relief to Maine’s preK-12 schools this year. The FCC made additional E-Rate funding available in September in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. ### About NetworkMaine Networkmaine is a unit of the University of Maine System providing Maine’s Research & Education (R&E) community with access to high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity and complimentary services that enhance their ability to successfully deliver on their missions. Created in 2009 by a memorandum of understanding, Networkmaine operates through a coordinating council which is comprised of the University of Maine System, the Maine State Department of Education, the Maine State Library, and the Maine State Government Office of Information Technology. The Networkmaine Council provides the public entities served with greater involvement in shaping the future of Maine’s research and education network, MaineREN.
Securing Your Zoom Session
The last thing you want is to have an uninvited guest join your Zoom session. Unfortunately Zoom’s default settings need to be changed to prevent what has become to be known as Zoombombing. What is Zoombombing? A new form of trolling in which a participant uses Zoom’s screen sharing feature to interrupt and disrupt meetings and classes. Restrict Access Setting up a password requires participants to enter a password to enter the Zoom Session. Additional Instructions about Zoom Meeting Passwords Instructions to Set Up Password Instructions for adding a Password for an existing meeting Enable a Waiting Room The Waiting Room feature enables you will be able to control who and when a participant is admitting into the Zoom session. To create a waiting room while in a session: Select “Security” at the bottom of the Meeting Window. Select “Enable Waiting Room” Participants joining will need to be admitted to the meeting. Zoom provides a more detailed overview of its Waiting Room feature in their support pages. Control Your Meeting You have the ability to remove and manage participants during your Zoom session through Manage Participants icon. Instructions for Managing Participants Personal Meeting IDs We recommend that you sparingly use your Personal Meeting ID as it is the same number (aka url/link) for any and all meetings you schedule. This means that not only is it easier for Zoombombers to target your meetings, but attendees with access to that link for one meeting could inadvertently join any of the meetings you have scheduled. Zoom Updates Make sure you have the latest version of Zoom installed on your computer that includes all of the current security and feature updates. As Zoom addresses the weaknesses in their product they have been rapidly releasing updates.
Understanding Network Impacts of Increased Online Learning Activities
This document describes how campus, regional, and Internet2 networks provide access to cloud-based learning today, and what will change as campuses migrate to online learning by off-campus students. This information is intended to help our members understand these changes. While COVID-19 presents unprecedented uncertainty, Research and Education Networks (“R&E Networks”) will play an important role in supporting our campuses and K12 schools as they move online. Infrastructure usage patterns are already changing greatly from traditional campus learning environments, in part because of the massive shift of users from purpose-built campus networks to consumer-oriented home networks. Note that throughout this document the word “campus” is used generically to refer to a higher education campus, K12 school, or any other facility belonging to a Networkmaine member. When students and faculty are on campus, they use a well-tuned campus infrastructure that is blended with remote cloud computing resources through Networkmaine and Internet2. Those networks are provisioned with substantial capacity for research data and also afford “headroom” for activities like Learning Management Systems and video-based online learning applications. These learning applications are often hosted on servers that are actually located off-campus in cloud computing data centers. When on campus, student traffic travels over R&E networks to these remote data centers. We can expect that network traffic patterns will change when campuses implement COVID-19 “work from home” and “learn from home”. This paper outlines a few scenarios on the potential effect this shift in the location of users may have on the way in which online resources are reached. It is important to note that the following scenarios depict typical traffic patterns. There will be situations where a different traffic pattern will occur, or specialized engineering is in place that may impact specific campus patterns. Scenario 1 – How Network Access to Online Resources Works from Campus Today and how campus participants in online education will continue to work Let’s start by showing how faculty, staff and students on a campus ordinarily reach cloud-based learning resources. In this typical instance, a student on campus uses the campus network, Networkmaine’s network and a peering connection either through Internet2 or an Internet Exchange Point (IXP) to reach the cloud data center. These networks are all tuned with abundant capacity that anticipates the historical usage patterns of faculty, staff and students on campuses and the academic schedule’s usage demands. We can expect that as students move to residence halls and other spaces on their campus for online learning, they should have an excellent user experience that leverages long term investment in high quality networks on the campus, in the region and nationally. Those networks are already tuned for a typically much larger user base and should not require any remediation for the new use. Internet2 and Networkmaine’s networks are actively monitoring the network traffic patterns for these users as an added layer of assurance. Scenario #2 – Students and Faculty learn/work from home and campus moves teaching online using cloud-based resources When students reposition to home locations, these traffic patterns change. In most cases, it is likely that the network traffic from the student to the cloud providers where their institution’s learning management systems and video applications reside will use commercial networks (i.e., the broadband in their home or apartment) and will no longer traverse the R&E networks. The exact path a home user takes to a cloud provider is somewhat opaque and not manageable by the institutional IT staff that normally plan the path and performance characteristics of network traffic. The consumer commercial networks are generally designed around peak consumer utilization (ex: Friday night Netflix streaming) rather than the academic schedule or academic applications that R&E networks tune for. The consumer networks also do not support large research data sets and as a result may have less inherent “headroom” for the sudden growth of video and online learning. A large influx of new traffic for online learning, together with other increases in daytime home use, may take some time for these networks to absorb. Some congestion of these networks and their interconnections to cloud providers may exist on the home networks that could impede performance of online learning in unanticipated ways. Planners may wish to consider contingencies for poor performing online experiences as these issues are diagnosed and capacity is added. On the upside, announcements in the media indicate some consumer networks are lifting usage caps and surging resources to respond to expected new traffic. Within their deployed infrastructure, this will make a big difference in reducing any artificial constraints. However, more work investment in physical capacity and interconnections may be required to support the new applications. That necessarily will take a little time and human effort to ship parts, install equipment and configure the new capacity. Scenario 3 – Access to campus from home using a VPN to gain access to online resources in the cloud or other resources on the campus One potential variation to the scenario above is for faculty and staff who use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) client on their computer to secure a path to the campus. Some campuses require or advise their faculty (and to a lesser extent students) to utilize a VPN to securely access resources that are located on the campus (e.g., ERP systems used by administrators, research data sets including virus research, and learning resources that are not in the cloud). VPNs can be configured to route all of the user’s traffic (both traffic to on-campus systems and the rest of the Internet) to the campus VPN server, or they can be configured to send only campus traffic to the VPN server. The later, sending only campus traffic to the VPN server, is known as a “split tunnel” configuration. Without split tunnel, traffic to services such as Zoom and Blackboard will first travel to the campus VPN server, then it will use the campus’s connectivity to travel to its destination (e.g., traffic to Zoom would first travel to the campus network, then Networkmaine’s network, then to
Networkmaine peers with Google and Facebook
Networkmaine is excited to announce that we recently turned up two direct peers. We established a direct connection with Google back in September and with Facebook today at Mass_IX. These direct peers bring greater resiliency and performance to Maine’s research and education community when accessing these on-line offerings.
Networkmaine makes the move to Zoom
Networkmaine is pleased to be able to offer Zoom accounts to its members at a substantial discount. For more information contact our support desk.
Networkmaine Peers with Microsoft
Networkmaine is excited to announce that we recently turned up direct peering with Microsoft at mass_ix. This direct peering brings greater resiliency and performance to Maine’s research and education community when accessing Microsoft’s on-line offerings.