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EzraNet Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is EzraNet?

EzraNet is a campuswide program to upgrade data and phone wiring and their distribution infrastructure in approximately 60 buildings on Cornell's Ithaca campus. The EzraNet program will take place over the course of 10 to 14 years.

EzraNet is sponsored by the Office of the Provost. Cornell Information Technologies' Network and Communication Services (CIT-NCS) group handles the project management for this program.

What is the purpose and need?

Currently, most of the campus connections in use are incapable of supporting 100 Mbps data speed, and many campus facilities have spaces lacking adequate security and/or environmental controls for new data electronics.

The goal of EzraNet is to provide Cornell University with a network that is prepared for future use and can support gigabit-speed data connections and network-intensive applications. EzraNet will bring Cornell's wiring position in alignment with other peer institutions and will upgrade the building infrastructure according to Cornell and industry standards.

Who does it involve?

A number of people and groups are involved in each EzraNet building project. The CIT-NCS project team works in close coordination with representatives from departments in the building, the building coordinator, Maintenance Management, Contracts and Capital Projects, Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S), Planning, Design and Construction (PDC), and outside design firms and contractors.

How are the buildings selected? When is my building scheduled?

Sixty buildings (including building complexes) are in scope for the EzraNet program.

Each fiscal year, the EzraNet Program Director proposes the schedule for the next two fiscal years, based on the infrastructure status of the buildings. Academic buildings have priority over administrative buildings and residence halls. The Office of the Provost ultimately decides what the academic priorities are and provides CIT with the final list.

See the list of EzraNet buildings.

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How do I make sure I'm listed as a stakeholder when my building is ready to be initiated?

Send e-mail to ezranet@cornell.edu, requesting to be added as a stakeholder for a specific building. Please include your contact information.

How will Ezranet affect me or my department?

During the design of the project, the impact on you and your building will be limited. The CIT-NCS project team will work closely together with representatives (stakeholders) from each department in the building to identify requirements and to review the design deliverables. You might see the CIT-NCS project team on site for design walkthroughs.

During construction, in order to minimize disruption, work will typically be scheduled for third shift (midnight to 8 a.m.). Work in nearly every room of the building will be necessary.

All construction work will be scheduled in advance and announcements will be sent out to inform people of when work is scheduled in their rooms. Service outages for voice and data network communications will be coordinated in advance with your department representative (stakeholder).

While construction work is going on, there will be some noise in the building. The construction crew will minimize dust by covering areas with plastic and performing a daily cleanup. Some areas will require some patching and painting where old jacks were removed.

How will this project benefit me?

Everyone will benefit from having their phone and computer connections handled by a modern network infrastructure that will deliver modern voice, high-speed data, and video services.

If you use network-intensive applications such as videoconferencing, virtual reality, or data modeling, you will benefit from a network that can easily support those activities.

Network administrators and space planners in many buildings will benefit from having an infrastructure that meets both the current and future needs of the building.

How will I be kept informed?

Each EzraNet project has an assigned project manager from CIT-NCS. The project manager is responsible for keeping the department representatives (stakeholders) informed and will schedule stakeholder meetings as needed and distribute a monthly status report. Stakeholders are responsible for relaying information to their departments.

The status reports along with other project reports are also posted online, for current and completed projects.

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Will EzraNet cost my department anything?

No. The program is funded by the Office of the Provost. Work done within the scope of EzraNet is done at no charge to your department.

Some departments choose to do some out-of-scope work at the same time as the EzraNet project; that work would be billed to the department at the usual rates. To read about services offered by CIT, please visit: www.cit.cornell.edu/services/

How long will EzraNet take in my building?

Depending on the size and complexity of your building, EzraNet will take from 18-24 months from planning to project closeout.

What type of wiring will be installed?

For the near future, UTP Category 6 wire will be the media of choice. All of the faceplates, conduits, raceways, and telecommunications rooms will be properly equipped and sized to accommodate fiber optic cabling should the need arise. Fiber optics may also be deployed in certain circumstances to provide additional bandwidth for special circuits.

Will EzraNet install fiber to the desktop?

Not at this time. We believe that twisted-pair copper UTP will handle telecommunications needs for many years, and installing fiber for campus horizontal environments is not cost-effective. Adequate space is being designed in the conduits and faceplates to allow retrofitting fiber to the desktop if it becomes cost-effective or if there are special requirements.

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What if I want new data connections installed?

When the design process begins, the building stakeholders will be asked to identify existing faceplate locations. If a stakeholder sees an area that needs an additional data connection installed, this can be discussed and coordinated on a case-by-case basis with the CIT-NCS project manager.

Will EzraNet make my connection faster?

EzraNet will install a new telecommunications cabling infrastructure that will give the Cornell community the capability to access the network at gigabit speed; however, there are many other factors that may impact your ability to do so. The connection speed of your individual computer/server could be limited by the capabilities of your NIC (Network Interface Card), drivers, and computer architecture, as well as the configuration of your computer's personal firewall. Connection speed may also be affected by the design of the building network and whether it includes a system firewall or other type of security monitoring equipment.

Will this project change or disrupt my phone service?

EzraNet will not change the phone service you use today. When the wiring cutover is done in your building, your phone service may be briefly interrupted. The CIT-NCS project manager will coordinate the cutover very closely with the department representatives (stakeholders) to mitigate the impact.

Will I be getting a new phone?

No, EzraNet does not replace existing phones. If you are interested in newer telephone sets, or upgrading your service, please speak with a service representative in NCS Operations Support (254-NCS1) and view available phones and features online at:
www.cit.cornell.edu/network-services/services.html#phonerates
www.cit.cornell.edu/services/phones/digital.html

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What if I want wireless installed in my building? Will EzraNet pay for this?

EzraNet includes work necessary for RedRover wireless. A site survey will be performed to determine the wireless needs of the building. Infrastructure (conduits/wiring) and hardware to support RedRover wireless Access Points (WAP) in common areas will be installed as part of Ezranet.

Infrastructure for RedRover Access Points in non-common areas (i.e. offices) will be installed as part of EzraNet, however, hardware (wireless access points) and installation must be paid for by the departments. The work can be coordinated through the EzraNet project. For further information about Cornell's wireless service, please visit the RedRover web pages.

Can someone meet with my department to discuss our current phone setup?

Absolutely! Please contact NCS Operations Support at 254-NCS1 to schedule a needs assessment. A voice and data service coordinator will come to your department to discuss your business needs, propose and review possible solutions, and look for ways to improve service and reduce costs for your area.

Does our department have to participate in this project?

Yes. To make sure that your department's requirements are integrated in the design and to coordinate construction work to minimize disruption to the building occupants, it is necessary to actively participate in the project. The amount of time required will depend on the size of your department.

Department representatives (stakeholders) need to be authorized to make decisions and be able to facilitate communication during the design and construction phases of the project.

During the design phase, CIT-NCS asks that each department residing in the building appoint a single representative (stakeholder) who can represent the interests of their department.

During the construction phase, CIT-NCS prefers that a single point-of-contact be selected to represent the interests of all building occupants.

Will there be any downtime during the project?

Yes, there will be minimal downtime during the cutover from the old service to the new service. This downtime (and any other downtime that might be needed) will be scheduled in advance. CIT-NCS Field Services will perform the cutover and coordinate the work with the local telecommunications coordinator and network administrator for each department.

For phone service, downtime is usually under 15 minutes per phone. For data service, downtime is however long it takes to unplug from the old jack and plug into the new one (since the new service is brought up in parallel with the existing service).

Who do I contact if I have further questions?

Please e-mail ezranet@cornell.edu

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