Pa ge 1 Pa ge 29 American Journal of Smart Technology and Solutions (AJSTS) A Comparative Study of On-Campus and Off-Campus Internet Facilities Fe Nangcas Jalon-De La Cruz1, Cherlyn Sarguilla Abillar2 Volume 2 Issue 1, Year 2023 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajsts Article Information ABSTRACT Received: March 02, 2023 Accepted: March 11, 2023 Published: March 18, 2023 This study aimed to compare the lived experiences of the graduate school students in accessing internet facilities inside and outside the university campus. Qualitative method using phenomenology as a design was utilized. The internet services in two campuses were compared. Aspects of comparison between the two lenses started with the on-campus followed by the off-campus were presented in terms of; internet connection: dawdling versus fast; Wi-Fi connection: difficult to access versus accessible; network: low versus hassle-free; accessibility: limited versus limitless; adequacy of facility units: discomfort versus comfortable; expert’s and mentor’s guidance: available versus difficult to avail; re- search environment: safe versus unsafe; power supply: sustainable versus susceptible to interruption. These results implied an urgency of the university to look into the problem that the students are facing in accessing internet facilities for their research activities. Keywords Phenomenology, Qualitative Research, On-Campus Internet Facility, Off-Campus Internet Facility, Wi-Fi, Internet Facilities 1 College Librarian, St. Francis Xavier College, San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, Philippines 2 Teacher III, Don Manuel H. Gutierrez Sr. Elementary School, Matina District, Davao City, Philippines * Corresponding author’s e-mail: lady.feus3819@gmail.com INTRODUCTION As a sequel to the investigation we conducted on the use of off-campus internet facilities by the graduate students of the university, this inquiry was borne. Relative to their revelations, their experiences on the off-campus utilization were compared to the on-campus. The researchers observed the inadequate internet facilities and services of the university. With our honest intention as an opener to our beloved Alma Mater, we would like to mention what we personally identified in the libraries and internet laboratories like; the frequent low bandwidth or slow connection which was one of the major constraints that crippled fast internet access; the limited number of computer units shared by the undergraduate, and research level students in computer laboratories; no separate library with internet connectivity; and limited use of Wi- Fi since password was protected. The insufficiencies mentioned earlier pushed them to rely on the internet connectivity of home-based broadband, internet cafés, free Wi-Fi zones, pocket Wi-Fi and mobile-equipped cellular phone for research purposes. During class days, student-users opted to seek internet cafés’ services outside the campus for corrections and emergency printing of their academic requirements. Students were obliged to spend money for loading to their pocket Wi-Fi with the intention to use this inside the school premises to comply class assignments. The research conducted by Arthur and Brafi (2013) outwardly hatched the idea on this problem aforementioned that the inadequacy of on-campus internet facility encouraged him to proceed with his research study because he observed that poor internet connection and limited number of computer units in the laboratories inside the campus were among the problems that were encountered by the students and teachers. Both groups of users were pressured to avail of the off- campus internet facility as an alternative source, although they often found these expensive. We personally believe that this sequential study was deemed necessary to obtain information relative to their off-campus internet use. It is our hope and aspiration that the outcome of this investigation would be considered by the university as basis in the conduct of a new investigation that would reveal suggestions for the development of high speed internet connection inside the university. Grand Tour Questions This study was guided by the following questions: 1. What are the lived experiences of the graduate school students in using the on-campus and off-campus internet facility? 2. How do the graduate school students compare their lived experiences between on-campus and off-campus internet facilities? LITERATURE REVIEW Problems Encountered by the Students The study of Arthur and Brafi (2013) informed that internet users identified the hindrances purposely, to enhance the research, teaching and learning process. They mentioned that inadequate users’ skills were noted as the most leading constraints, followed by poor internet connection and limited number of computer units in laboratories inside the campus. According to the study, although internet cafés were open 24-hours daily the problem was low internet connection due to poor signal. They added that the cafés had other impediments such as poor management, and inadequate facilities due to equipment and maintenance costs. In connection, Khan et al., (2016) gave an account of an https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajsts mailto:lady.feus3819%40gmail.com?subject= Pa ge 30 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajsts Am. J. Smart. Technol. Solutions 2(1) 29-37, 2023 investigation about the issues experienced by the students in accessing information online. The list specified that slow internet connection, inadequate number of computers in laboratories, difficulty in information searches, inadequate knowledge and skills in evaluating information and information overload. He further elaborated that students limited knowledge on the use of digital book, electronic databases, and retrieval of information could hamper performance. The Nigerian university students found difficulty in utilizing the internet for research purposes because of power interruption. This predicament hampered their research activities. Survey results revealed that 70 percent of the students complained about the frequent loss of signal; 66 percent stated power outage; and 60 percent declared service was highly expensive. Those who complained on slow internet speed, had trouble in judging accuracy of the information, experienced lag in downloading webpages and murmured on information overloading accounted to 50 percent respectively. Around 10 percent, complained on limited cybercafés terminal stations and students’ accessing skills ( Nwezeh 2010; Adekunmisi et al., 2013). In like manner, Audio (2016) said that many individuals expect when power is interrupted and computers are disconnected, it must be seen to it that there must be no information lost. Unfortunately, it is not that simple for a lot of people; the risk is low, but when you’re using your computer even slightly more seriously and your data is equally important, you might want to consider using an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). It’s also convenient to have your external Universal Serial Bus (USB) disk, router, cable modem, telephone switch, or similar devices on the UPS. This is possible when you own the unit or doing at home. However, if off-campus the safest way is to have your USB and have your data saved immediately after you accessed. In fact, Nwokedi (2007) expounded that limited knowledge in searching banned internet use. He clarified that showing abilities to search for information could help a great deal in finding the right information for research. It could improve and enhance teaching and would inspire students to pursue with their research activities. The Nigerian university identified various problems about the students’ complaints about the unequal internet connection access inside the campus. The report stated that while the staff and personnel could access anytime, anywhere in the university campus relative to their teaching and research activities, students were not. They could only access the internet through major access points such as the library and computer laboratory where the connection was very slow. The inequitable distribution of internet facility connection inside the campus prompted internet cafes to strategically position their sites to cater to students’ research needs (Ani, 2010). A similar study reported that the use of facility outside the campus was more practical, efficient and dependable compared to the internet facility on-campus (Fasae & Aladeniyi, 2012). In Sunyani Municipality, a study was led on the adequacy and proficiency of internet utilization. Among the major issues distinguished that influenced the students’ dissatisfaction were the slow internet connection, the limited number of computer units and slightly damaged, students’ lack of knowledge in browsing information, limited time in accessing connection at internet cafés and discomfort in room temperature at café houses (Arthur & Brafi, 2013). A study on the usage of ICT project at Nigerian university libraries was observed to be poor in serving the students, faculty and staff. The report suggested administration must see behind the present situation in the library so services be improved. Some researchers enlisted a particular organization where Nigerian universities could avail dependable internet connections like Nigerian Universities Network (NUNET), National Virtual (Digital) Library Project (NVLP), and Nigerian Virtual Library Consortium (VLC) (Ani, Esin & Edem, 2010; Etim, 2006). In the University of Nigeria, it was discovered that 77.8 percent had internet laboratories in their libraries serving the entire university campus faculty and staff, students and other member of the institution. The web network was discouraging in some colleges and universities with 30 percent; and 19.5 percent in tuition based schools. The essential reason was absence of budgetary allotment to enhance internet connection (Baro & Asaba, 2010; Chaputula & Boadi, 2010; Chaputula, 2011). The poor internet connection and the limited number of PC units in the research centers inside the campus were among the noteworthy distinguished issues experienced by the students. Despite the cost students, faculty and staff opt to seek connection outside the university so that they can connect to their families and friends while studying (Arthur & Brafi, 2013). A study by GeorgeTownU Library (2016) reminds the clients to remember that practically anybody can post information anytime he wishes on the web. It is regularly hard to determine origin of Web sources, the authenticity of authorship, and regardless of the fact that the creator is recorded, he or she may not generally speak to the truthfulness of his work. It is the sole responsibility of the user to verify information posted and assess viably on the information accuracy and its truthfulness. Essentially, Shahin, Balta, and Ercan (2010) urged the university students to utilize the e-journals, e-books and other scholarly databases as wellsprings of data and sources of information for course-related researches to guarantee dependability and reliability of resources. For this situation, data presented required evaluation as to its legitimacy and exactness. Unfortunately, it is exceptionally hard to assess the data, since it requires client’s the ability and expertise. Internet cafés access points or computer stations is not desirable. Computer terminals must be positioned to ensure a client’s security. Simple steps such as erasing settings on log-out, deleting of content on hard drives and https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajsts Pa ge 31 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajsts Am. J. Smart. Technol. Solutions 2(1) 29-37, 2023 giving warning or caution to clients of the dangers when they exposed themselves to public must be observed. These are the basic methods for helping clients to comprehend and alleviate the dangers of utilizing these systems. However, it is the individual and frequently their manager who are liable to end up in a bad position for neglecting to find a way to secure and protect the information online (TechTarget, 2016). In relation, Ring (2016) said that the greatest concern toward most PC clients is protection and privacy. Wi- Fi hotspots in most open areas are unsecured, which implies that others could possibly access the data on your computer. In the event that you will forget to log out in an open work station, somebody could get into your e-mail or other delicate personal records. On a physical level, the individual beside you in an Internet café can easily look over your shoulder while navigating the web and might have the chance of hacking your personal information or anything you did browse on the net. Open café terminals are not ideal for accessing information relating to work and other personal business–related transactions. METHODOLOGY Participants A total of eleven participants were included in the study from the graduate school. All were interviewed and the data collected were recorded and transcribed for data analysis. Design This study employed a qualitative method via phenomenology inquiry. To exemplify better understanding about the idea Willis (2007) simplified the perception that phenomenology as a method, construes experiences through attending and listening to the numerous storylines of the informants. The method inspected the phenomenon over the distinctive eyes of the research participants. As an approach, it attempted to understand the hidden meanings and essences of an experience as well as how participants made sense of that experience. As Pereira (2012) established that in order for a phenomenological study to be arbitrarily valid it must be rigorous and offer views and ideas in terms of credibility and the clarity of a phenomenon. This method sparked our interest as researchers with the desire to examine the lived experiences of the graduate school students of the university in accessing on-campus and off-campus internet facilities for research activities. The phenomenon employed purposive sampling methods. As, Cresswell and Clark (2011) defined purposive sampling as the involvement of the individuals who are knowledgeable in a particular phenomenon of interest. It recognizes and selects people who have direct experiences with the situation. We endeavored what Sargeant (2012) affirmed that data could be collected from individuals or group of people who were interviewed, an observation or from a document. We recorded, transcribed and analyzed following Creswell’s procedure of material organizing, to classify the text data into segments and segmented sentences into categories. I formulated a thematic coding process where identified themes would be classified and filled in. I used this process to identify the themes we classified all similar ideas and categorized into core ideas. Trustworthiness was established to make this study a reliable craft. As Lincoln and Guba (1985) defined trustworthiness is the “truth value” of the study’s findings. It was how accurately the investigator interpreted the participant’s experiences. The four criteria of Lincoln and Guba (1985); credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability were followed to evaluate the research findings. We attempted to pick an important criterion of what Ary, Jacobs, Razavieh and Sorensen (2010) presented on several criteria to test the dependability of the findings. This included audit trail, a code-recode strategy, stepwise replication, triangulation and peer examination. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION It could be deduced from the interview results that accessing on-campus and off-campus internet facilities were intertwined in their studies. The storylines were presented and confined within the bounds of the research questions carefully formulated to serve as an instrument guide in the conduct of the in-depth interview and focus group discussions. The point of inquiry was centered on comparison of the graduate school students’ on- campus and off-campus lived experiences in the use of internet facility. The participants narrated these experiences through individual interviews and focus group discussions. Comparison of the Graduate School Students’ Lived Experiences on the Use of On-Campus and Off-Campus Internet Facilities Table 1: Matrix of comparison between the graduate school students lived experiences on-campus and off-campus internet facility use in clearer presentation Aspects of Comparison Lived Experiences On-Campus Off-Campus Internet Connection Dawdling Fast Wi-Fi Connection Difficult to access Accessible Network Low Hassle-free Accessibility Limited Limitless Adequacy of Facility Units Discomfort Comfortable https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajsts Pa ge 32 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajsts Am. J. Smart. Technol. Solutions 2(1) 29-37, 2023 The table shows the matrix of comparison between the graduate school students lived experiences on-campus and off-campus internet facility use in clearer presentation. Internet Connection. Dawdling versus Fast Participants compared their experiences in the on- campus and off-campus utilization of internet facility. They wanted fast searching speed to cope with class work deadlines. Fast internet connection was the answer to their dilemma, and they got from off-campus cafés. Participants to this study had varied stories in this regard. In the on-campus, students who were desirous to comply school work on time got disappointed with slow internet connection, and that to them, it was a waste of time. A participant shared that in accessing internet inside the campus he experienced dawdling internet connection. He added that his search was delayed due to slow connectivity. All he had to do was to engage in searching to entertainment sites like Twitter, Skype and YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Viber that cause to delay his time. With the trend of dawdling connection, research became difficult and waste of his time. While in the off-campus, student participant mentioned that he was compelled to seek the services of the internet cafés, in home-based broadband and in Wi-Fi connected areas. The fast internet connection he enjoyed in Café Haus has facilitated his searching and hastened the accomplishment of his class outputs. With dawdling internet connection, an investigation conducted by Ojo (2013) on the use of internet facilities among the tertiary institution students discovered that most of the sites visited by the students were not academic and that they spend many hours on the websites that are not educationally productive. In relation, another study by Wang (2015) explained that if webpages open slower than usual or downloads seem to last for ages, these are due to some factors that could affect your internet speed.In contrary, fast access to off-campus internet facility portrayed different experience as reflected in the study conducted by Jerome (2013) mentioned that high speed internet connection made internet access speedier, simpler and more pleasant. Wi-Fi Connection Wireless services have introduced a new era in communication for the education community, and this new concept of mobility within the educator’s daily environment is having a major impact on student learning. Wireless technology brings the primary benefit of mobility to traditional class activities. Students and teachers’ laptop computers with wireless cards can be moved wherever needed in the local area and still access educational materials on the school’s server. A Wi- Fi network will let you connect smartphones, tablets, Kindles, Nooks, and other devices to the network and the internet, while a hardwired network will not. Additionally, if you use a laptop computer, a Wi-Fi network gives you the ability to use it anywhere in the office or in the house, instead of just in the immediate vicinity of a connection port for the hardwired system. Difficult to Access versus Accessible The students who used internet services inside the university expressed their sentiments: A participant elucidated his feeling that it was difficult for him to access internet connection inside the campus due to low capacity of wireless connectivity. Wi-Fi was password protected. If he could access, it was a very slow. It was always a delay in complying with the teacher’s requirements. In relation, another student mentioned that it was difficult to collaborate with their classmates on a class project. He could not communicate promptly because of difficulty in finding the “hot spot” or Wi-Fi connected area. Opposite with, the off-campus students enjoyed the accessibility in the café houses and Wi-Fi zone areas in malls, in transport service, hotels and in coffee shops. He said that access is faster and easier everywhere. Once he found the information he needed he immediately saved through the flash drives or USBs. He stated further that he had enough time with social networking for self-entertainment. Since he could finish earlier, he could submit requirements on or before deadlines, which meant less pressures, less stress, more time for fun and relaxation. We believe that the participants experiences in accessing internet facility inside and outside campus were significant. Wireless connectivity are revolutionizing communication and can benefit both schools and students in many ways. In addition, internet ready mobile gadgets and sets of computers give students one-to-one access. Students can continue to collaborate on a class project with other students while outside the classroom, school or campus and can send the results to their instructors from anywhere they find a “hot spot” in wireless public access, increasingly offered by businesses, libraries and other facilities. A related literature reinforced this idea that the quality of the student computing experience has become an important decision-making factor for Brazilian students in selecting a university. In the TIC Educacao survey, 96 percent of teachers in Brazilian public schools use Internet resources to prepare their classes (PR Newswire, 2015). In fact, internet satisfaction is still a problem for some students, especially residents who use the internet for various activities including contacting home, social media and streaming videos (Kraemer, 2015). Compared with the in-campus Wi-Fi connectivity, a study conducted on the availability of Wi-Fi in public areas Expert’s and Mentor’s Guidance Available Difficult to Avail Research Environment Safe Unsafe Power Supply Sustainable Susceptible to Interruption https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajsts Pa ge 33 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajsts Am. J. Smart. Technol. Solutions 2(1) 29-37, 2023 have changed the face of internet accessibility. Beside the noteworthy advantages that the connections carried with critical portability, the old system on getting connection altered. It demonstrated that the likelihood of wireless internet connections in public places would encourage the chance to lessen eye- to- eye communications and social interactions (Sanusi & Palen, 2008). Network Bandwith As far as network bandwidth is concern, the on-campus users experienced low bandwidth while those who used off-campus had hassle-free moments. Bandwidth is likened to lanes on a highway. It allows more traffic to go through at once, while still retaining high speeds. However, oftentimes many requests must go through a network simultaneously and a low bandwidth connection will severely slow speeds. A high bandwidth connection can service many requests and users without sacrificing precious speed. Low versus Hassle-Free An informant expressed his frustration that the internet facilities inside the campus has low bandwidth internet connection that contributed to their delayed submission of class requirements. Due to slow network performance his online requests were not served promptly, searches were not immediately accessed. Another one voiced his experienced that he had to wait for high bandwidth connection that could serve many requests and users without sacrificing precious speed. Some articles and other related materials that were accessed but could not be downloaded. Transferring of data accessed was difficult. All these could be attributed to low bandwidth. The participants confessed, they experienced slow application performance and decreased data transfer capability. Uploads and downloads were painstakingly slow. Watching videos that constantly freeze was extremely frustrating. Whereas, the off-campus internet facility users expressed that a connection with plenty of bandwidth available provided a smooth, responsive user experience. To them that experience was hassle-free. A student explained that the more available bandwidth the more he enjoy internet access on a very fast and satisfying tone. He was able to accomplish his goal, and enabled him to do multi-task and maximize productivity by running multiple applications simultaneously. The most common problem related to internet use was the low bandwidth (72 percent) and retrieval problems (Bankole, 2013). Obaje, Sani and Lawal (2008) study at the University of Jos, Nigeria revealed that students and faculty members who queued up could not access internet in the library and that the internet was used mainly for research and email. The findings of Chitanana (2012) study have demonstrated that more awareness education on bandwidth management is needed for universities to make it a priority. Increasing bandwidth without adequate network management is wasteful and reduces its value. The absence of effective bandwidth management strategies poses serious challenges for almost all universities. Accessibility In terms of accessibility, connection was difficult in in- campus while accessible in the off-campus. Limited versus Limitless On-campus internet facility users expressed their disappointments with the limited access they experienced in doing their research activities. One felt that he was defeated by time and expenses. When their teachers gave to them the term papers, they actually started browsing for possible inputs. However, with the limited number of computer units with the rule on “first come, first serve” basis, and they had to follow the long lines. “Limited access” was on his computer screen.. With regards to the off-campus, students who used internet facility as an alternative source testified their enjoyment with the limitless accessibility. He could access to almost all websites using all search engines. Almost all topics that he would like to search were easy to find. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Skype, Twitter, Blogs, WhatsApp, Viber, Nimbuzz to name a few are easy to access. On the contrary, one student expressed his worries that there are certain cons and dangers relating to the use of internet. The need for internet access was critical in the acquisition of academic information in order to complete class assignments. Although the required information could be acquired through outside alternative sources, preference for using the internet inside the university was expressed. With their experience of limited access, the foreseen benefits of time saving and access to wide variety of information available through the internet were not enjoyed. The connection was poor. Even if we connect to internet, it says very limited access. I have to keep restarting my laptop after trying to connect a number of times to see if I get access. The worst part is when I am doing an online assignments or quizzes and the internet decides to stop working (University Wire, 2014). Adequacy of Facility Units In terms of adequacy of the facility, the on-campus users experienced discomfort, due to inadequate facilities, while those off-campus were enjoying the comfort of having adequate facilities like personal computers, internet-ready cellular android phones, iPads, tablets, and other gadgets. Discomfort versus Comfortable A participant expressed that the limited number of computer units hampered his research activities inside the campus. Computers were occupied by researchers almost every time he had to go to the university to login. Other PC’s are not updated and connection is very slow. He could not comply his requirement on time due to the delay of his research activities. Another participant expressed his disappointment and said that computer https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajsts Pa ge 34 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajsts Am. J. Smart. Technol. Solutions 2(1) 29-37, 2023 laboratories were fully booked each time he tried to use the internet. The library has a free computers but with limited units it cannot accommodate all users. Opposite to the on-campus users confessed that the services provided by the internet cafés, home-based broadband, Wi-Fi zone areas, office internet connection to avail desired websites for needed information was fulfilling and comfortable. One said that he access internet from the off-campus to download videos and pictures for his lessons in the class. Through this initiative he feel free and comfortable. Another one further stated that the off-campus facility is giving excellent service to users. Where downloading is very fast, connection could be accessed anywhere in malls, internet cafés, in home- based broadbrand, Wi-Fi zone areas such as public places even in parks and amusements halls, hotels, airports, cars and buses. A related literature supported this experience on the inadequacy of facilities inside the campus as Bamigboye and Agboola’s (2011) study on the availability and accessibility of internet facilities in Nigerian university libraries indicated that a majority of respondents found that there were not enough computers. This was something the administrators of those institutions should note. In fact Allen (2016) conversely said that if you have high- speed equipment but a slow connection, you will not get the advantage the equipment can offer. You always get the lesser speed. No matter how high or slow your internet connection is, you must have the right equipment to use it properly. You need a decent wireless router to convert the signal to wireless and broadcast it throughout your location. The modern you use to connect your computer to the Internet may have built-in wireless router capability. Expert’s and Mentor’s Guidance Availability of Experts versus Inavailability Guidance of experts for consultation was available in on-campus but those off-campus users found difficulty in this regard. Students accessing information inside the university campus are enjoying the availability of experts for guidance and consultation. They imparted their knowledge to novice researchers. As one said that he shared his profession as a librarian to others when he assisted the students in looking for better information resources. As we were listening to the interview, one participant captured our attention when he mentioned the importance of my profession that a librarian is someone who had the expertise in research and articles to be researched. To the students he is important because it was different if there would be someone who could provide guidance than merely depend on personal knowledge. However in the off-campus there would be no experts available for consultation. One shared, there were some helpful aides in the counter, but with many users, he could not consistently secure the in-charge attention. Besides the internet in-charge is not a librarian or expert in the field. He added that the off-campus users had the hard time locating for the right search engine so they needed guidance from experts in the field. Sometimes he stayed longer in the cafés to seek an advise which to mean extra effort, time and money. Reliable websites and search engines were easier to locate for the needed information relative to his assignments. Whereas, the experience of those students who sought the off-campus facilities were left to their own understanding. As researchers, we would like to share some points to consider when judging the reliability of information on the net as clearly elaborated by Erma Wood Carlson Library (2016) as to Who created the site? Who supported it? On the page you are referring to, that individual or association ought to be recognized, that individual’s capabilities ought to be specified, and different avenues for verification ought to be open for public scrutiny. Are there no prejudices or bias? Who published the site? Is there any publicizing or advertising? Does the page appear to be professionally designed? Is the writing trying to persuade you to buy something? Is contact data given by the publisher? In the event that the page is supported by a trustworthy individual or association, there ought to be some other approach to check that notoriety like email address or postal location. Is there a copyright image or symbol included on the page? Provided that this is true, who holds the copyright? What is the reason for the page? Why is this data being posted, as an open administration, as a news source, as a research tool for academics or as an approach to catch up an attention? How the page was organized? Is the information on the page primary or secondary? Is it a report of facts, making it primary or secondary information, or is it an internet newsgroup discussion? Can you verify the information on the Web page? Can you check the page’s bibliography against the library’s holdings or check the information against a source in the library? What is the quality of information provided on the website? Timeliness When was the website first published? Is it regularly updated? Check for dates at the bottom of each page on the site. What type of other sites does the website link to? Are they reputable sites? If the author references online material, does it provides links to the material referred to? What type of sites link to the website you’re evaluating? Is the website being cited by others? If you are worried that the information may lack credibility, try starting with a source you know is reputable. Finally, remember that even though a page might not meet your standards as a citable source, it may help you generate good ideas Research Environment The traditional library is gradually becoming a thing of the past as cheaper and more up-to-date information materials become available on the internet. Libraries are faced with immense challenges. Access to information https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajsts Pa ge 35 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajsts Am. J. Smart. Technol. Solutions 2(1) 29-37, 2023 can stimulate change and create a research environment that makes learning more meaningful and responsive. Safe versus Unsafe The primary focus for the students should be on maintaining a safe and secure internet using environment. A user expounded that his internet journey inside the university was fulfilling because he was assured of a safe and secured environment. Students who seek information inside the university campus occur with “over-the- shoulder” adult supervision. One added that the use of electronic communication devices in a fully secure environment gave him peace and wholesome satisfaction. Beyond all these, those students who used the internet in the off campus felt uncomfortable. Another informant declared that using internet café was very annoying. Sometimes, boys were very noisy even if they had headphones. They sang, giggled with boisterous laughters. Another participant shared the same experience, he said that he observed other issues related to the irresponsible use of the internet. He witnessed an intentional copying of information verbatim which to mean plagiarism. What the on-campus users experienced was the opposite outside. We were reminded of the misuse of the internet by students in accessing information from the internet café was very rampant. In fact, access of potentially harmful material, that included copyright infringement, plagiarism, computer security violations (hacking, spreading viruses), violation of privacy, harassment, stalking, and dissemination of harmful speech or other violent or abusive material is illegal and immoral in nature. The off-campus users whole experience pictured the unsafe environment. This impression is hatched in the research conducted by TechTarget (2016) which said that computer terminals must be positioned to ensure a client’s security. Simple steps such as erasing settings on log-out, deleting of content on hard drives and giving warning or caution to clients of the dangers when they exposed themselves to public. These are the basic methods for helping clients to comprehend and alleviate the dangers of utilizing these systems. In relation, Ring (2016) said that the greatest concern toward most PC clients is protection and privacy. Wi-Fi hotspots in most open areas are unsecured, which implies that others could possibly access the data on your computer. In the event that you will forget to log out in an open work station, somebody could get into your email or other delicate personal records. Power Supply Sustainable versus Susceptible to Power Failure. The power supply affects the efficiency and efficacy of services in libraries. Access to online research is power- driven and its success or failure will depend solely on its electric service sustainability. Power supply inside the campus is maintainable while in the off-campus is vulnerable to brownouts. In this study, the students who worked on their research assignments inside the campus were contented to have sustainable power supply. Participant said that his stay in the campus using the available facilities was fulfilling, knowing that his work would not be hampered by power interruptions. In relation, one added that the presence of generators helped maintained the power supply. One said that he was very satisfied with the presence of the electric generators inside the university. He could continue working on his research until he finish. Everything was taken cared of by the university. On the other hand, the off-campus users suffered frequent power interruptions. Another one elaborated that when there were brownouts or blackouts there was no available electrical power to substitute due to the absence of generators. If there was damage to electrical equipment there was no available expert to repair. The tendency was for the users to leave the cafés without finishing the work. Another student aired his frustration, the payment in internet cafés was non-refundable, despite services were suspended due to power failure. He elucidated that for many times his important data files were not yet save were brownouts occurred leaving him frustrated. Hearing all these predicaments, a literature speaks of the same problem when brownouts, more typical than power outages or blackouts, cause equipment failures, incremental harm, diminished hardware stability and information data loss. Power outages and voltage fluctuations can cause quick information misfortune and system crashes with no chance to spare critical records, which means important data can be lost in a split of a second (Tripp-Lite, 2016). Implications for Practice The comparative lived experiences between on-campus and off-campus internet users for their educational and other pursuits were presented. Alarming was their testimony that off-campus experiences provided them pleasant feelings in internet use as compared with on-campus. There were more enjoyed privileges on fast connection, quick accessibility to Wi-Fi, limitless accessibility, high bandwidth; and adequate facilities and services which they have found to be substantially insufficient inside the university campus. In support for students’ experiences in accessing internet connection outside the university a review of literature by Jerome (2013) said that high speed internet access makes it faster, easier and more enjoyable to browse online. Websites load in the blink of an eye, and clicking from one site to the next is a breeze. With high speed internet, uploads are also fast and easy. This allows you to take full advantage of the cloud. Upload photos, documents and other files to the cloud for safekeeping. Uploading files to the Internet is a lot safer and more secure than storing them on physical disks, which can be lost, stolen or damaged. Your high speed connection will also allow you to quickly and easily share videos and photos on popular social networking sites like Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter and others. https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajsts Pa ge 36 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajsts Am. J. Smart. Technol. Solutions 2(1) 29-37, 2023 Implicitly, a sequel to this investigation implied a call to go deeper into the possible suggestions of the students to improve the internet facilities and services of the university should be conducted. Henceforward, this study is necessary in order to find appropriate answers to the perennial problems on slow internet connectivity inside the campus. Implications for Future Research The current study has some limitations which should be covered for relevant researches in the future. The researchers were convinced that perhaps future researches should consider increasing the number of participants to provide a better and more convincing implications if the same study would have a sequel. Probably, future researches may be extended to undergraduate and post-graduate students in the university. Therefore, when conducting relevant studies in the future, the researchers should also include the suggestions of the students as their participants so as to find out how to improve the internet facility and services in the university. CONCLUSION The revelations of the study pointed out that the off- campus internet facility served better to students when compared with the on-campus internet facility. The study findings might be a good reference for the university and library authorities to develop the internet facility in the campus. 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