By AMANDA BRANNON
The Red & Black

Students who have moved from Holiday Inn to Reed Hall now face another delay – the wait to get the amenities they paid for.

One of the newest luxuries in the renovated residence hall, the ethernet, still isn’t up and running.

The fast Internet connection, which doesn’t use telephone lines, was supposed to make its debut in residence halls with the renovation of Reed.

"Progress is being made, and (the ethernet in Reed) should be up and running soon," said Eddie Hunter, associate director of telecommunication services for University Computing and Networking Services.

UCNS requested entry to student rooms this week to test data ports for the system, said Ann Hoffman, assistant area coordinator for Reed community.

Despite the promises, some residents said they still don’t feel like the response is quick enough.

Trey Gregory, a sophomore from Roswell, said residents of Reed haven’t been well-informed about the delays or developments concerning the ethernet.

"I asked about (ethernet connections) at the front desk, and no one knows anything," Gregory said.

"(The ethernet) is one of the main reasons I came to this dorm. The fact that it’s not working is really disappointing," he said.

Others feel like construction crews should have completed the work sooner.

"The delays are unnecessary," said Preston Jeffares, a senior from Stockbridge. "The wires are already in the walls. It shouldn’t take this long to patch everything in."

Jeffares, a systems administrator for the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services, also said that the server hardware for the ethernet in Reed is nearly out-dated, consisting of two Pentium 166 computers using 10-megabit connections.

"For a network that’s going to be in place a couple of years, they could have spent a little more money," Jeffares said. "They’re trying to save money on hardware and sacrificing performance."

Many of the students affected by the delays are disappointed because of the inconvenience of not having Internet access in their rooms.

"I’m kind of upset because a lot of classes require students to have Internet access," Gregory said. "Without the ethernet, I’m more dependent on Memorial Hall and Tate Student Center (computer labs) instead of accessing it from my room."

Those students who signed commitment forms to use the ethernet continue to be confused and frustrated with the delays.

"I think (the delays) are a shame," said Clarissa Cunningham, a senior from Tucker.

"(The ethernet) was one of the main pluses of living in Reed, other than the location."