Internet accounting

Internet usage is not free to the University. It is anticipated in 2008 that Internet traffic charges alone will be greater than $500,000. To manage the cost of the University's increasing Internet usage an Internet accounting system is being implemented.

Currently only Undergraduate students have a 32 Mega Byte quota per day limit of usage. However, both staff and students need to log in to the accounting system as all internet usage is logged and reported back to the Cost Centre heads to help to manage the cost of University Internet traffic.

Only material downloaded from off-campus is counted. Material accessed from on-campus does not count towards your usage. In addition some off-campus Library search services are exempted from your Internet quota. The central email facility does not affect your quota.

How it works

To access Internet sites off-campus you will first need to use an Internet browser to access an external Internet site. When you first open a browser your session will be redirected to a web page requesting your Flinders Authentication Name (FAN) and password.

Once you have entered your FAN and password the heartbeat window opens and maintains the status of your connection. Do not close this window. You can logout by clicking the logout link in the heartbeat window. Your usage is displayed in your heartbeat window. The statistics are updated hourly.

The heartbeat window tells the quota system you are still using your computer. This is particularly important when the computer is shared between multiple individuals - as in a computer lab. You should make sure you click on the logout link in the heartbeat window when you finish your session. This way any material downloaded by the next person who uses the computer will not count towards your usage.

What happens if I use up all my Internet Quota?

Once you use your daily allowance you will still have Internet access but your access speed will be limited. This will result in much slower access to off-campus material. Currently Undergraduate students over quota will be rate limited to 64Kb/s.

You cannot request or buy additional Internet quota. The University has decided not to charge individuals for Internet traffic or block access to particular sites at this point in time, and thus limiting bandwidth is an alternative method of managing the cost. In the future course instructors may be able to request an additional quota on your behalf.

What happens if I close the heartbeat window?

If you close the heartbeat pop-up window without logging out your Internet session will be disconnected in about 5 minutes and you will need to authenticate again.

Will I be able to read my mail on Hotmail or from other similar service providers?

Yes, but since these are off-campus they will affect your quota.

My program no longer works now that the Internet quota system is in place - what do I do?

You need to first open a web browser to an off-campus site to provide your authentication details.

Why can't I connect to my Internet banking or Internet chat site?

Internet banking uses secure http (https). You will first need to open a web browser to a non secure off-campus Internet site to authenticate before you can use https.

You need to initially open a browser to a non secure site. We recommend that ryou begin the Internet authentication process by going to http://internet.flinders.edu.au. This will prompt you for your authentication details and then redirect you to the Flinders home page.

When I click on a external Internet link in an E-mail message it displays in the heartbeat window. How do I fix this?

When you download a page from the Internet the new page is displayed in your active browser window. If the heartbeat window is your only browser window open new pages will be displayed there.

To prevent this make sure you have another browser window open before you click the link.

If it does happen, you can click on the heartbeat window and go Back to the heartbeat window (right click on the window and choose the ‘Back' command or in Internet Explorer: hit the Backspace key; in Firefox: Command-[). Then open a new browser window.

How do I log out of the quota system if I lose my heartbeat window?

Go to the log out portal.

What If I get a Virus which causes my quota to be exceeded?

You should speak to your local support staff about any problems you have in relation to the Quota/Accounting system.

Do I have to do anything to get my Internet browser to work with the Internet quota system?

You need to ensure that you or your local support staff have configured your Internet browser correctly.