At around 6AM this morning, network access at the Gavin Relly Postgraduate Residence, the Waainek research site, and HOIA was interrupted.
The symptoms would appear to suggest that the aerial fibre optic cable between GRPGV and Jan Smuts Dining Hall has snapped, most likely as a result of the high winds that were experienced this morning. As this cable runs through thick vegetation in the valley around Hamilton reservoir, we have not yet attempted to locate or fix the break; this will happen during the course of the coming week, when we're able to get Grounds & Gardens to assist us clearing the route.
Instead we have restored service using a temporary wireless link running between the roof of the main building at GRPGV and the window of a student room on the top floor of Margaret Smith House. This link runs at about 1/10th the speed of the original fibre, and so people at GRPGV can expect network access to be slower than usual. As there are trees in the line-of-sight between these two buildings, the link is also likely to be affected by inclement weather.
Whilst normal service has been restored for students at GRPGV, Waainek, and HOIA, things are slightly different for wardens and staff members based at GRPGV. Because Margaret Smith is part of the Hill Campus network sector, and GRPGV normally connects into the South Campus sector, staff at GRPGV will need to re-register their computers on the Hill Campus wardens' network. To do this, open a browser and visit https://register.ru.ac.za/. (Once the fibre has restored, this will revert to South Campus, so don't delete the South Campus registration.)