Most devices attached to the campus data network are subject to a TigerNet Host Charge; there are several exceptions, described below. The TigerNet Host Charge reflects costs of the network infrastructure such as Internet fees, the core of the network, etc.
The TigerNet Host Charge is billed to the ACCOUNT-NUMBER specified in the device's Host Database entry.
All devices attached to the campus data network are required to be registered in the Host Database, regardless of whether they are currently subject to the TigerNet Host Charge and regardless of whether they are attached directly via OIT Ethernet Service or via a private repeater, bridge, or switch, or via other private wiring.
(If your home is connected to the campus data network via NAS (a.k.a. DSL.net) DSL service, then any devices in your home that will not communicate with devices outside your home are not subject to the TigerNet Host Charge, and need not be registered in the Host Database.)
When a device is disconnected from the network (e.g. retired or transferred to another department or surplus), remember to delete its entry from the Host Database, to avoid unnecessary TigerNet Host Charges.
The current cost for the TigerNet Host Charge appears in this OIT announcement as the "host charge."
For entries billed to a traditional University account number (7 digits of the form ddd-dddd), billing varies:
As the Tigernet Host Charge is waived for entries "billed" to a University ID number belonging to a currently-enrolled undergraduate or graduate student, there is no billing.
The TigerNet Host Charge does not cover the cost of an OIT Ethernet port or the cost of OIT Wireless Access points. A separate OIT Wallbox Charge or OIT Wireless Access Point Charge covers that cost. It is charged for each activated OIT Ethernet port, or each OIT Wireless Access Point.
There is no direct correlation between OIT Ethernet ports, OIT Wireless Access Points, and Host Database entries. At any time, a single activated OIT Ethernet port may have none, one, or several devices actually plugged into it. Similarly, a single OIT Wireless Access Point may have none, one, or many wireless devices associated to it. Regardless of the number of devices attached/associated to it, each OIT Ethernet port or OIT Wireless Access Point results in a single OIT Wallbox Charge or OIT Wireless Access Point Charge. The OIT Wallbox Charge varies depending on the kind of data service provided (e.g. 10 Mbps service, 100 Mbps service, 1000 Mbps service).
The OIT Wallbox Charge or OIT Wireless Access Point Charge are not generated from the Host Database; they are generated from the OIT Network Atlas. Billing information is provided by the customer who requests that the OIT Ethernet port be installed/activated, or that the OIT Wireless Access Point be installed. If you need to change the account number you specified when arranging for the OIT Ethernet port or the OIT Wireless Access Point, contact the OIT Help Desk.
When an OIT Ethernet port connection is no longer needed, remember to contact the OIT Help Desk to request that it be disabled, to avoid unecessary OIT Wallbox Charges.
The TigerNet Host Charge applies to devices registered in the Host Database with an ENTRY-TYPE of HOST, HOST-ROUTER, HOST-COMMUNICATIONS-SERVER, X-TERMINAL, FILE-SERVER, FILE-SERVER-ROUTER, or NAT.
For some other types of devices and special Host Database entries, the TigerNet Host Charge is waived:
- Network Infrastructure
- The TigerNet Host Charge is waived for devices that are part of the network's infrastructure, since the cost of that infrastructure is part of what the charge is designed to cover.
Devices considered to be part of the network's infrastructure are those registered with an ENTRY-TYPE of HUB, BRIDGE, ROUTER, COMMUNICATIONS-SERVER, or UPS. (Note that a NAT is not part of the network infrastructure.)
- Printers, Plotters, Scanners, Projectors
- The TigerNet Host Charge is waived for printers, plotters, scanners, and projectors. It is also waived for print servers (dedicated devices designed only to accept print jobs and direct them to a printer or plotter). This is because it is expected that such devices will not use the University's Internet connection, which is part of what that charge is designed to cover. (If your printer, plotter, scanner, projector, or print server is used in such a way as to regularly use the University's Internet connection, you should instead register it as a HOST.)
Devices considered to be printers, plotters, scanners, projector and print servers are those registered with an ENTRY-TYPE of PRINTER, PLOTTER, SCANNER, PROJECTOR, or PRINT-SERVER.
- Some Dynamic IP Addresses
- The TigerNet Host Charge is waived for some Host Database entries corresponding to dynamic IP addreses; these entries have an ENTRY-TYPE of HOST-DYNAMIC.
For the purpose of billing, dynamic IP addresses are defined as those addresses assigned temporarily to other devices already registered elsewhere in the Host Database with an ENTRY-TYPE of HOST. (I.e. the actual device receiving service is already subject to the TigerNet Host Charge, so the IP address loaned to it shouldn't be billed a "second" time.)
Not all Dynamic IP Addresses are treated this way. If a Dynamic IP Address may be loaned to devices not already subject to the TigerNet Host Charge, the Dynamic IP Address may indeed by subject to the TigerNet Host Charge.
- Mail Aliases
- The TigerNet Host Charge is waived for Host Database entries created solely to generate DNS MX (and possibly DNS CNAME) records. They do not correspond to any actual device attached to the campus network; they must not have a hardware address, nor IP address. These devices have an ENTRY-TYPE of MAIL-ALIAS.
Even if a device's TigerNet Host Charge will be waived, it must still be registered in the Host Database with an ACCOUNT-NUMBER. That's to allow Financial Contacts to be associated with the entry, and also to allow for billing if policies should change in the future.
Anyone specifying an ENTRY-TYPE in a Host Database entry that results in the TigerNet Host Charge being waived is responsible for ensuring that the appropriate ENTRY-TYPE has been specified. OIT may audit this information periodically.
These devices are not eligible to receive OIT Mobile IP Service. Network infrastructure and printers/plotters/scanners/projectors should always be registered in the Host Database to reflect their home locations, so they should not need Mobile IP Services; Dynamic IP Addresses can't use Mobile IP Services because they are simply addresses, not physical devices.
If a device registered as a BRIDGE, HUB, UPS, PRINTER, PLOTTER, SCANNER, PROJECTOR or PRINTER-SERVER, and is assigned an IP address, OIT may choose to block that IP address from communicating with the Internet. And to prevent the device from reaching the Internet via OIT VPN Service, the IP address may be blocked from communicating with OIT VPN Service. (If you need for the device to reach the Internet, you may instead choose to register it as a HOST (for an office device), or subscribe it to Dormnet (for a student device).
If a device is attached to privately-maintained (e.g. departmental) wiring and it is not possible to communicate in any way with the device from any other device attached to OIT wiring, then the TigerNet Host Charge is waived.
This is very uncommon, as it typically requires that the department maintaining the private wiring install filtering hardware or software between their private wiring and the OIT wiring to which it is attached. The filter blocks network data travelling from/to the specific device.
In this case, the device must still be registered in the Host Database with an ACCOUNT-NUMBER, but the number should be of the form ddd-9999 where ddd is replaced with the three-digit department number. This special non-existant account number is used to indicate this non-charge status.
Anyone specifying an ACCOUNT-NUMBER of the form "ddd-9999" in a Host Database entry is responsible for ensuring that the device associated with this entry is in fact attached to private wiring, and filtering hardware/software will prevent any communication between that device and any device attached to OIT wiring. OIT may audit this information periodically, and may require written confirmation from the department manager that the device is filtered.
These devices are not eligible to receive OIT DHCP and BootP Services, because when attached to their home networks, they cannot communicate (reliably) with OIT's DHCP and BootP servers. As most OIT-supported platforms are only supported when configured to use DHCP (or in some cases, BootP), this also typically means the device no longer is an OIT-supported platform.
These devices are not eligible to receive OIT OIT Mobile IP Service, as they should not be attached to OIT wiring.
If the entry's ACCOUNT-NUMBER is the University ID of a currently-enrolled undergraduate or graduate student, then the Tigernet Host Charge is waived. (This is a change, effective September 2007.)
Clients of Temporary Visitor Wireless Network Access (TVWNA) and Visitor IP (VIP) Service are not subject to the Tigernet Host Charge.
The TigerNet Host Charge does not apply to Host Database entries associated with Dormnet subscriptions. (Dormnet entries are those in which the Host Database entry's ENTRY-NAME and DNS-DOMAIN form a fully-qualified name of the form netid.student.Princeton.EDU or netidNUMBER.student.Princeton.EDU.)
There is no fee associated with Dormnet subscriptions.
The TigerNet Host Charge does not apply to Host Database entries associated with Remote Access Personal IP Addresses (These are the entries in which the Host Database entry's ENTRY-TYPE is REMOTE-ACCESS-PERSONAL-IP-ADDRESS.)
There is no charge for a Remote Access Personal IP Address. (However, usage of OIT Remote Access Services is subject to its own charges, regardless of whether it involves a Remote Access Personal IP address; Remote Access Services: Billing .