I started my journey to find where the internet comes from at the library. At first glance from the front doors of the main floor, I noticed routers on the ceiling.
Routers provide Wi-Fi to devices on the network (a connection to the internet). I assume router wire connections run through the top of the ceiling panels in each building on each floor, out of plain sight. I walked all over the library’s main floor, occasionally accidentally scaring people in secluded areas. I had no idea where else to look, but then I remembered that the Harte Center was remodeled, so there had to be a data center there (it also looked the most technologically modern compared to the rest of the library). I tried to follow signs that included the word “technology” in the hope of it leading me in the right direction, and luckily, I found a data closet in the back right corner of the first floor.
A data center is a physical facility that houses critical applications and data. Public access to data centers would be irresponsible because of the risk of a security breach, so the door was locked. I continued to search the other library floors and found other routers but had yet to find other data closets.
The next stop was the most technologically advanced location I knew about, the IQ center in the library. I walked around for a while, hoping to find another data closet. However, I found a large black rack in the back room resembling a server rack.
A server rack is a structure that contains routers and servers. Data centers typically have many server racks, so I assume this rack provides internet to the IQ center’s surrounding devices.
Overall, there are routers in every building, and there is at least one data center in each of the two main technological buildings, the library and the science center. I did not find any information on the location of data centers on campus online, which is understandable due to the security risk of the information being public.
