Services of the Albany Schools Network

Internet Connectivity

The primary service ASN provides is Internet connectivity through pooled bandwidth purchased from TENET. We maintain two 2 Gb/s links to the TENET Point of Presence (PoP) at Rhodes University.

We support both IPv4 and IPv6 routing for any member school that wishes to use IPv6.

Bandwidth is billed using a 95^th percentile model, allowing natural usage bursts without penalty. Our tiered membership structure ensures fair bandwidth allocation based on school size and needs.

DNS Services

ASN provides a high-performance caching DNS resolver to speed up domain lookups. We also offer authoritative DNS hosting for member schools who require it.

NTP (Time Sync)

A reliable Stratum 2 NTP server is available to all members, synchronized with Stratum 1 time sources for accurate timekeeping.

High-Speed Interconnection

Member schools are interconnected at up to 10 Gb/s, enabling fast resource sharing such as file servers, printers, or collaborative platforms.

Community of Practice

ASN fosters a community of ICT professionals across member schools. This forum promotes knowledge sharing, troubleshooting, and collaborative problem-solving.

Schools often assist each other by routing traffic across campus networks to reach the ASN PoP — leveraging geographic advantages for the benefit of all learners in the Albany region.

What We Don't Do

Email Services

Due to the availability of robust, low-cost (or free) cloud email solutions, ASN no longer provides email hosting. We are happy to advise on suitable alternatives.

Managed Hosting

While we can physically host rack-mounted equipment and provide remote hands support when needed, ASN no longer manages web servers, email servers, or other hosted infrastructure.

Schools are encouraged to use cloud-based platforms for scalability, security, and cost-efficiency.