Network Management Policy
OBJECTIVE
e-Tel, LLC has provides Internet and telephone service to Western Kentucky. We are a small company with one goal –
to provide a quality service at an affordable price. In addition to dial-up
Internet and Local Telephone Service, e-Tel, LLC offers broadband Internet Services
utilizing transport facilities of AT&T and the Paducah Power Fiber Network. e-Tel, LLC
supports the Federal Communication Commissions Open Internet Order published on
December 23rd, 2010 and are publishing this document in accordance with the
Order.
OPEN INTERNET ORDER
The 3 basic principles of the FCC’s “Open Internet Order” are
- Transparency. Fixed and mobile broadband providers must disclose the
network management practices, performance characteristics, and terms and
conditions of their broadband services.
e-Tel, LLC is publishing this document to satisfy the transparency principle.
- No blocking. Fixed broadband providers may not block lawful content,
applications, services, or non-harmful devices; mobile broadband providers
may not block lawful websites, or block applications that compete with their
voice or video telephony services.
e-Tel, LLC only blocks ports commonly known to transmit spam and viruses and
exploit known Windows Operating System vulnerabilities. These ports have
been blocked as a result of causing network congestion or outages.
A list of blocked ports is provided at the end of this document.
- No unreasonable discrimination. Fixed broadband providers may not
unreasonably discriminate in transmitting lawful network traffic.
e-Tel, LLC does not discriminate in transmitting lawful network traffic.
NETWORK MANAGEMENT DEFINED
Wikipedia defines Network management as the activities, methods, procedures,
and tools that pertain to the operation, administration, maintenance, and
provisioning of networked systems.
- Operation deals with keeping the network (and the services that the
network provides) up and running smoothly. It includes monitoring the
network to spot problems as soon as possible- ideally before users are
affected.
- Administration deals with keeping track of resources in the network and
how they are assigned. It includes all the "housekeeping" that is necessary
to keep the network under control.
- Maintenance is concerned with performing repairs and upgrades—for
example, when equipment must be replaced, when a router needs a patch for an
operating system image, when a new switch is added to a network. Maintenance
also involves corrective and preventive measures to make the managed network
run "better", such as adjusting device configuration parameters.
Provisioning is concerned with configuring resources in the network to
support a given service. For example, this might include setting up the network
so that a new customer can receive voice service.
e-Tel, LLC’s NETWORK MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
e-Tel, LLC does not monitor or log the websites our customers visit.
e-Tel, LLC does not prohibit the use of attachment devices or block competitor sites.
e-Tel, LLC does not restrict or rate limit users bandwidth during periods of network
congestion.
e-Tel, LLC does restrict public access to core network equipment such as routers and
switches.
e-Tel, LLC utilizes many commonly used Network Management tools to assess current and
future bandwidth usage of our customers as well as to protect customers from
aggressive threats that can result from Internet usage. Our primary management
tool is the use of simple graphing software that allows us to monitor bandwidth
usage of individual customers and the aggregate usage of bandwidth. These graphs
allow us to assess the customers needs as well as assist customers in
troubleshooting their Internet Connections. Graphing Software also enables
continuous monitoring of our Network and alerts Network Personnel when a
security event or network outage occurs.
As stated above, some Internet traffic is blocked to ensure the safety of our
customers and help reduce spam email. Any e-Tel, LLC customer who is adversely affected
by any of these security measures can request an exclusion. An industry standard
method of blocking spam email is to block outbound TCP port 25. This is
accomplished by blocking IP traffic from our customers to IP addresses not on
e-Tel, LLC. The block is performed on our edge router. Customers needing to send emails
to a non-e-Tel, LLC mail server should use TCP port 587. Another security technique
utilized on our edge routers is used to block spoofed Internet traffic. e-Tel, LLC edge
routers block Internet traffic with invalid IP source or destination addresses.
If e-Tel, LLC network staff become aware of an issue where a customer is transmitting
traffic that violates e-Tel, LLC’s terms of service, causes a network outage, or severe
network congestion, e-Tel, LLC will attempt to contact the customer and request the
customer correct the issue or work with e-Tel, LLC to correct the issue. If e-Tel, LLC is
unable to contact the customer or the customer is unable to correct the issue,
e-Tel, LLC will temporarily suspend the user’s access until the customer has corrected
the issue.
e-Tel, LLC’S BROADBAND SERVICES
ADSL is offered to residential & businesses using AT&T copper facilities. More
information can be found at
http://www.vci.net/services/dsl.php
Paducah Power Fiber runs through the main business districts of McCracken
County, KY and is only available to Business customers. More information can be
found at
http://www.vci.net/services/fttu.php
All customers should be aware that speeds actually achieved are subject to the
customer’s internal network configuration as well as e-Tel, LLC’s network and the
transport network. Configured speeds assume optimum network configuration. e-Tel, LLC
relies on www.vci.net/speedtest for
accurate bandwidth speeds.
e-Tel, LLC’s terms of service are explained in the e-Tel, LLC user agreement published at www.vci.net/agreement
e-Tel, LLC’s Privacy Policy is published at www.vci.net/privacy.php
e-Tel, LLC blocks the ports below. These ports are commonly associated with Microsoft
Windows vulnerabilities and various viruses and have previously caused network
congestion or outages on the e-Tel, LLC network.
Outgoing Ports |
Incoming Ports |
None
|
None
|
|