Retired-Policy on Troubleshooting Charges for PennNet

Information Systems and Computing's Networking & Telecommunications (ISC N&T) organization is responsible for the operation of PennNet (Penn's data networks) and therefore has the authority and responsibility to specify troubleshooting requirements for any devices connecting to PennNet.

This policy specifies the conditions under which network users may be charged for troubleshooting and remedy of networking problems on PennNet. It also provides "best practice" recommendations to guide the network Local Support Provider (LSP) in preliminary troubleshooting steps in an effort to avoid any additional charges.

The purpose of this policy is to define when labor and material charges will be applied to troubleshooting and remedy of networking problems on PennNet.

Demarcation Point: The point where the support for a PennNet connection begins or ends.

PennNet wall plate: The PennNet wall plate (https://www.isc.upenn.edu/how-to/pennnet-services#PennNet-FAQ) is a
communications outlet that includes a bundle of high performance wiring that can be used by the customer as a point of entry into the data or telephone communications networks.

PennNet wiring: PennNet wiring is the aggregate PennNet wall plate wiring for an entire building. This wiring must be installed or certified through ISC N&T.

Troubleshooting Charge: A troubleshooting charge is a fee imposed on a customer for services that are performed outside of those included in the port maintenance component of the PennNet monthly port rental rate. This fee will vary depending on the type of resource that is required to perform the additional work. Troubleshooting charges do not include any materials that may be required to complete the job. See the ISC Networking Telecommunications Rates pages at https://www.isc.upenn.edu/pennnet-rates/ and https://www.isc.upenn.edu/pennnet-ethernet-ports-rates

Materials Charge: A materials charge is an additional fee imposed on a customer for replacement of any materials that are not included in the port maintenance component of the PennNet monthly port rental rate. Materials costs may not be imposed on all repair work.

The customer could be charged a fee for troubleshooting requests that fall within this policy. This fee could include cost recovery for ISC N&T labor and materials.

This policy covers troubleshooting of the networking components that connect directly or indirectly to PennNet.

1. The demarcation point for standard PennNet wall plate connections is the PennNet wall plate. Other demarcation points may be defined in specific customer service level agreements (SLAs).

2. All departments must be following the primary computing support model and must have a Local Support Provider (LSP) assigned to their area. The LSP must perform preliminary troubleshooting for the network users in their area. See Listing of Local Support Providers at https://www.isc.upenn.edu/get-it-help

3. PennNet customers who pay monthly port rental and maintenance charges will not pay troubleshooting charges for the following PennNet problems.

a. Troubleshooting problems during the course of normal hours of operation. Other hours of operation will be defined in a customer SLA. See also the PennNet Basic SLA at https://www.isc.upenn.edu/slas.
b. Wall plate hardware that is found to be defective due to normal use.
c.  PennNet wiring that is found to be defective due to defects in manufacturing or installation.
d. PennNet Networking electronics failure
e. Networking latency problems due to traffic congestion on the ISC N&T side of the demarcation point.
f. Certain problems that relate to statement of policy #4, if they are one time problems and if the result was due to an unintentional action on the part of the user or LSP. Repeat offenders are subject to troubleshooting charges.

4. PennNet customers who pay monthly port rental and maintenance charges will pay troubleshooting charges for the following PennNet problems

a. Troubleshooting problems outside of normal hours of operation. Other hours of operation will be defined in a customer SLA. See also the PennNet Basic SLA at https://www.isc.upenn.edu/slas.
b. Networking problems that require ISC N&T to perform preliminary troubleshooting and the cause is non-network related.
c. PennNet Wall plate or cabling damage as a result of misuse or unauthorized demolition/restoration.
d. Problems related to 4c that cause damage to PennNet electronics.
e. Problems isolated to local wiring or electronics that are on the user side of the demarcation point.
f. Networking performance issues related to desktop or server hardware/software problems.
g. Networking problems that cause loss of service to a user or significant number of users in a building or on PennNet due to Acceptable Use (AUP) or other networking policy violations. Some examples of these violations are:

i. Spoofing another user’s IP Address
ii. Intentional Denial of Service (DOS) Attacks Originating from the user’s machine
iii. Operation of private LAN’s that are incorrectly configured and connect to PennNet.
iv. Negligence leading to the damage of University electronic information, computing/networking equipment and resources.

h. Replacement of outdated PennNet wall plates or wiring. If either of these components is found to be defective, and cannot be repaired in place, the wiring will be updated and the restoration costs will be responsibility of the department or user.

5. Departments or users who do not pay monthly port maintenance charges will be charged troubleshooting fees for all network troubleshooting and support (the problems outlined in Statements of Policy items 3 and 4).
 

1. The department should supply the LSP with a portable device (laptop or equivalent) such that he/she can perform fault isolation at the point of demarcation and work back from there.

2. Where possible, the LSP should attempt to place a known good working device on the suspect network or demarcation point, if no other tools are available.

3. The LSP should make use of network troubleshooting tools such as ping and trace-route to assist in problem isolation. Tests should be run from various locations on PennNet.

4. The LSP should gather as much information about the problem as possible and include this information in the trouble ticket. Some examples are: the Wallplate ID  (see https://www.isc.upenn.edu/how-to/pennnet-services#PennNet-FAQ),  contact information, and available times if access to the workspace is required.

5. The LSP should attempt to remove as many variables as possible while troubleshooting the problem. This information should be added to the trouble ticket.

6. The LSP should regularly attend IT Orientation training ( https://www.isc.upenn.edu/training-events-0) sessions that are offered by the ISC Technology Support Services. Other training may be provided at the local unit level.

A. Verification: ISC N&T will act on those problems discovered during the normal course of events in troubleshooting the network.

B. Notification: Notification of likely financial implications shall be made to the LSP  and the Business Administrator for the departmental area, where possible, before work begins.

C. Remedy: ISC N&T will work with the LSP to resolve the current networking problem, and try to help avoid unnecessary troubleshooting charges in the future.

D. Financial Implications: The department or network user will be responsible for the associated costs, if any, for labor and materials and any interim solutions where applicable.

E. Responsibility: Responsibility for remedy (and associated costs) lies with the area department or LSP. The LSP should thoroughly perform problem debugging before reporting network problems to the ISC Provider Desk.

F. Time Frame: Payment in full should be made within the next normal billing cycle.

G. Enforcement: In cases where troubleshooting charges are applicable, ISC will submit an itemized bill for services to be journaled within the next normal billing cycle. Alternatively, the department can supply budget information during the course of the troubleshooting process.

H. Appeals: Appeals to service or material charges will be handled through the standard Billing Dispute Process of the ISC Business Office.

• Basic PennNet SLA at https://www.isc.upenn.edu/slas.
• PennNet Rates page at https://www.isc.upenn.edu/pennnet-rates
• PennNet Ethernet Ports Rates page at https://www.isc.upenn.edu/pennnet-ethernet-ports-rates
• Listing of Local Support Providers at https://www.isc.upenn.edu/get-it-help
• Policy on Computer Disconnection from PennNet at  http://www.upenn.edu/computing/policy/disconnect.html
• The Policy on Acceptable Use of Electronic Resources at https://www.isc.upenn.edu/acceptable-use-policy-electronic-resources
• The at https://www.isc.upenn.edu/ITPC/switch
• The at https://www.isc.upenn.edu/ITPC/mmdd-routing
• The Policy on the use of PennNet IP Address Space at https://www.isc.upenn.edu/computing-policies/ITPC/ipaddress
• The Policy on the Operation of DHCP and BOOTP Servers on PennNet at https://www.isc.upenn.edu/ITPC/dhcpserver
• The Policy on Deployment, Operation, and Registration Requirements for Wireless Access Points on PennNet at https://www.isc.upenn.edu/ITPC/wirelessreg

https://www.isc.upenn.edu/ITPC