Whenever a Napster user gets or gives a music file, part of ONU's Internet connection is used to transfer that file. When larger numbers of people do so at the same time, other Internet users cannot get to their email, their web pages, or other Internet items. This problem not only causes slow web pages for people on campus, but also persons who are off campus who wish to access Olivet's website. Our current network equipment does not have this capability and the costs of doing so are tens of thousands of dollars. Also it would cause downtime on the network while it is installed.
Purchase upgrades to our Internet connection.
Upgrading our Internet connection speed would be an expensive monthly charge and would only be a temporary fix. If 100 more people started using Napster right after we purchased an upgraded connection then we would be right back where we started. Block or otherwise limit Napster use. This one could be quite unpopular with die-hard Napster users. It does need to be said that, pending the results of the civil trial against Napster, its use is not in question but rather the amount of network traffic that it generates.