Network Regulations

(this translation is non-committal)

The Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, and the Studierendenwerk Bonn AöR (Studierendenwerk) aim to provide all students living in the student residences of the Studierendenwerk with access to the Internet for their academic work. The possibilities of the in-house Local Area Network (LAN) provided by the Studierendenwerk shall be made available to residents as freely as possible, provided that funding, operational support, and acceptance by the affected users are secured. In this sense, the Studierendenwerk’s Network Regulations govern the operation of the network as a minimum consensus.

(1) The use of the network is contingent upon responsible and considerate conduct. It must be proportionate to its academic benefit. All other uses must be discontinued in the event of conflicts.

(2) The house network is subject to the usage regulations of the Bonnet and the Internet’s netiquette as outlined in “RFC 1855” (1995). The use of other networks additionally requires compliance with their respective regulations. Access to the Bonnet is restricted to enrolled students who have a valid rental agreement with the Studierendenwerk.

(3) The following are expressly prohibited: use for commercial purposes, sharing access with third parties (e.g., via the telephone network), indiscriminate or excessive dissemination or retrieval of data, operating unattended computers without comprehensive energy-saving functions, running non-time-critical automated processes during peak load times, changing one’s own network address or name, altering the information or protocol headers of others, attempting to eavesdrop or using network monitors or security scanners, using or sharing unauthorized information, causing harm, endangering, obstructing, or harassing others or attempting to do so, and impairing network operations through ignorance or carelessness.

(4) Every person using the LAN provided by the Studierendenwerk is obliged to cooperate with the Studierendenwerk, its contracted service providers, and the network functionaries of the student self-administration in the residences (SV) regarding network operations. To ensure the operational stability of the network, it is recommended to follow hardware recommendations. Any disruptions, detected misuse, or attacks must be reported to them.

(1) Use of the network is entirely at the user’s own risk.

(2) For damages resulting from injury to life, body, or health caused by a breach of duty by the Studierendenwerk or its service providers, the Studierendenwerk is liable under statutory provisions for intent and any form of negligence. For other damages, the network operator is liable only for intent or gross negligence. This applies in particular to damages resulting from network outages, data loss, data manipulation or misuse, the use of faulty software, or incorrect information. Liability for damages caused by third parties or for content posted by users is excluded to the extent permitted by law. Mandatory statutory claims, particularly under product liability law or data protection law, remain unaffected.

(3) To ensure the security of IT systems, all users are requested not to store confidential or particularly sensitive data locally on their devices whenever possible. If local storage is unavoidable, such data must be protected with recognized encryption solutions. When transmitting information, an encrypted connection—such as HTTPS, VPN, or an appropriate email encryption method—must always be used. Operating systems and all used programs must be kept up to date with regular updates, and secure passwords as well as, where possible, multi-factor authentication must be used. No operating system is completely secure. Every system can potentially be manipulated or attacked. Even with protective measures such as firewalls, antivirus software, and regular updates, a residual risk cannot be entirely eliminated. To protect devices from power surges, it is recommended to disconnect them from the power and network during thunderstorms or prolonged absences or to use appropriate surge protection technology.

(1) The Studierendenwerk delegates the administration of network usage to the student self-administration of the residences in accordance with these regulations, supplemented by their own statutes and rules. The elected network functionaries are responsible for ensuring network security, operational stability, and user optimization and are accountable to all residents for fairness, as well as to the network conference and the Studierendenwerk. The Studierendenwerk may remove them from office in the event of gross breach of duty and appoint a temporary replacement until the matter is resolved by the SV.

(2) The Studierendenwerk and its contracted service providers decide on the allocation and use of network resources. They establish technical details, assign email addresses, IP addresses, and domain names, monitor compliance with these usage regulations, and may restrict usage to prevent technical issues or conflicts. In the event of technical necessities, violations of §1 of these regulations, or legal infractions, the network operator or its service providers are entitled to suspend connections without prior notice. Notwithstanding this, the Studierendenwerk reserves the right to initiate criminal proceedings and assert tenancy-related claims.

(3) The Studierendenwerk, its contracted service providers, and the network functionaries of the SV are exempt from the restrictions of these regulations for the performance of their duties. Every user grants the Studierendenwerk and its service providers the right to collect the data necessary for their tasks through the analysis, storage, and statistical evaluation of protocol headers. They are not permitted to analyze the further contents of data packets without the consent of the sender or recipient. Automated filtering for relevant security risks (e.g., viruses) is permitted. Suspected violations of these regulations must be resolved in cooperation with the affected user.

(4) Once assigned, domain names remain reserved for the respective user. Exceptions are regulated by the Studierendenwerk.

(5) These regulations may be amended by the Studierendenwerk at any time. Proposals for amendments to these regulations by the SV’s network conference must be published at least one week before the deciding network conference in the manner specified by the SV.

Version dated 19.09.2025