Within the last few years the UMass Boston campus wireless network has been subject to policies which restrict usage unlike any other university campus. This is done in the name of security but introduces a tremendous inequality in educational infrastructure between UMass Boston and competing universities. The unequal internet access limits the exposure of students to it's potential uses moving forward.

We demand that all students connecting to the UMass Boston wireless and wired network have access to the internet equivalent to those at UMass Amherst ASAP. To be clear this is in terms of access to content and not speed. No money is needed for this change, only new firewall configurations.

The campus is only whitelisting good ports so what is allowed is unclear but currently the following are blocked:

The following websites on this spreadsheet: http://goo.gl/JJi8L0

VPN access to external workplaces (for students with jobs or internships)

Ability to use VOIP systems such as t-mobile wifi calling

Ability to play network video games on laptops

Ability to use an external DNS server such as Google's 8.8.8.8

UDP packets (used for streaming)

ICMP packets (used for ping)

The use of web development ports such as 8080

Please spread this petition to all students and alumni so that another class of students is not disadvantaged.