Mechanical problems cause internet crash around campus

Mechanical problems at an off-campus ITS data center Tuesday morning caused disruptions to Internet, blackboard, phone and USC e-mail access across campus.

“At approximately 7:45 am, an electrical problem in the university’s data center triggered the center’s fire suppression system and shut down the supply of power to multiple IT systems,” said ITS Director of Communications and Marketing Kevin Durkin. “The fire department was immediately notified and the building was evacuated.”

Those who called ITS asking for assistance heard a recording acknowledging that there have been issues this morning.

“This is Tuesday Feb. 8 at 9:55 a.m. We are experiencing network outages and major system failures including email and website features. We have no ETA at this time,” the recording said.

Most issues seemed to be resolved by about 1:00 p.m., though some students still reported issues getting online.

“As of this moment, e-mail, phone, Blackboard and most websites service including the main USC website services have been restored and users can now connect to the wired network,” Durkin said at 1:15 p.m. “Wireless connectivity is available but some users may experience a delay or time out.” Mechanical problems at an off-campus ITS data center Tuesday morning caused disruptions to Internet, blackboard, phone and USC e-mail access across campus.