1. 2017 TCS SMT Training - Dallas
Net Agent Data
2017 TCS SMT Training - Dallas

2. 2017 TCS SMT Training - Dallas
Agenda
What is the Net Agent?
Data Collected
Data Analysis
Tech Survey Supplemental questions
2017 TCS SMT Training - Dallas

3. Tax-Aide Network Agent (TNA)
Based off of Tax-Aide Inventory Agent (TIA)
Small piece of software resident on each AARP system, not personal, not IRS
No independent installation, installed and updated via TIA update process.
Every time Windows makes a network connection all of the Windows information about that connection is sent to a central database.
Agent is turned on Dec to April
2017 TCS SMT Training - Dallas

4. Collected Network Information
Adapter Name, Description, Type, Mac Address, IP address
Network Name, Description, Category
Connection’s Internet Gateway IP address and Mac Address
If Wireless then Authentication Type, Security Type, SSID, SSID Mac Address
Date,Time the connection created, Date, Time when connection is reused
Date, Time when connection is terminated
2017 TCS SMT Training - Dallas

5. Collected Gateway information
In Windows the “Gateway” is the access to the internet and is the IP address to which all internet networking is sent.
TNA gathers the Gateway IP and Mac address, it attempts to gather information about the gateway by sending a Http webpage request to the Gateway.
Some routers return a status webpage that is captured, others return error messages that are captured.
2017 TCS SMT Training - Dallas

6. 2017 TCS SMT Training - Dallas
Data Linkages
Network data is linked to the TIA data identifier for a system.
The TIA data is linked to the OIS inventory data for a system
No current plans to display the network data via a website. This is due to volume and complexity of the data.
Specific requests can be made via One Support.
2017 TCS SMT Training - Dallas

7. 2017 TCS SMT Training - Dallas
2017 Tax Season Data
Net Agent installed on 15,500 Tax-Aide Systems
~752,000 network connections in the Tax Season
14,400 distinct Networks of which -
3500 are identifiable as Tax-Aide site networks (a Net Agent “site”)
More than 1 system connected during a day
Network used in at least 4 distinct weeks in the tax season
2017 TCS SMT Training - Dallas

8. 2017 TCS SMT Training - Dallas
Cautions
Sites that use only Host provided systems will not be identified
Sites that use only IRS or personal systems will not be identified
Since “Sites” are algorithmically identified there will be some errors.
Some sites will be in the data but not identified as a site and site data will misidentify a site occasionally.
2017 TCS SMT Training - Dallas

9. National Level Data Summary - 1
Of the 3500 “sites” 3100 can be located to a site address listed in the Portal (5000 sites) using agent/system geographic data from TIA.
2017 TCS SMT Training - Dallas

10. National Level Data Summary - 2
314 sites are using insecure wireless networks (41 WEP an old insecure encryption) (280 identified to site)
118 pure old fashioned wired networks
650 networks are HotSpots, 1000 hotspots used at least once
306 networks are Netis routers (~500 Netis routers in the program)
900 networks are direct use of host network with no router
~2000 Tax-Aide router based networks
Ongoing need for router education and documentation
Number would be higher without Netis problems
2017 TCS SMT Training - Dallas

11. Technology Update – Hot Spots

12. Technology Update – Hot Spots
Approximately 1090 hot spots in the field
27 hot spots were not used
Lowest data usage.001GB
Highest data usage GB
Hot spots should still be the “last resort” for internet access
RETURN UNUSED HOT SPOTS FOR USE BY OTHERS

13. 2017 TCS SMT Training - Dallas
Questions ???
2017 TCS SMT Training - Dallas