Getting Connected at College

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Tobias Melton
10 years ago
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1 Getting Connected at College

2 Questions to ask about College Networks What type of network access does your school provide? Wired and/or wireless Where will you need access from? Dorm rooms Classrooms Grounds (outside) Off-campus housing

3 How will you be connecting? Scenario 1 Dorm Rooms (wired and/or wireless) Student network account needed to logon Equipment varies Scenario 2 Campus Wireless Networks Student network account may be needed Wireless connection info needed from school Scenario 3 Off-Campus Housing Home Internet service account from ISP Connection info needed from ISP

Equipment varies Scenario 2 Campus Wireless Networks Student network account may be

4 Scenario 1 Dorm Room Wired connection Wired data port in room provided by college Network Interface Card (NIC) in computer Patch cable

5 Scenario 1 Dorm Room Adding your own wireless to a wired room If your school provides wireless in dorms you will not need to set up your own wireless network If not, you may want to set up wireless in your dorm room First, make sure adding your own wireless in dorm is permitted; EX. University of Alabama DOES NOT Allow personal wireless routers to be added to their network.

to set up wireless in your dorm room First, make sure adding your own wireless in dorm is

6 Scenario 1 Equipment needed for your own wireless network in dorm Wireless Access Point (WAP) You do NOT need a router May or may not include cable, check box Patch cable(s) One for wireless only (from wall to WAP) Two, if you want to connect desktop or laptop with wired connection for faster more secure service From wall port to WAP From WAP to desktop computer Wireless NIC But what kind?

(from wall to WAP) Two, if you want to connect desktop or laptop with wired connection for faster

7 Wireless NIC Differences g Pros Established, More common in Public areas Cons Prone to Interference (Cordless Phones, Microwaves, etc.) n Pros Faster than g, less prone to interference Cons In fewer devices, Not backwards compatible with g A lot of devices are providing capability for both, but find out which type your college uses

Phones, Microwaves, etc.) 802.11n Pros Faster than 802.

8 Securing your devices What can I do to protect my new network? Change the Default Username/Password of your WAP Follow manufacturer s instructions Setup a security key for your wireless network WPA-Personal or WPA-PSK Uses key to secure connection to wireless network Website for generating key: Yellowpipe

instructions Setup a security key for your wireless network WPA-Personal or

9 Hide your network Turn off Broadcast SSID on your Router/WAP; This makes it hard for others to connect to your Wireless. Do Not turn off Windows Firewall Especially important if connecting PC/Laptop to school network Default settings usually sufficient, but some school programs may require opening ports on local machines (rare); check with school tech dept. for details.

Do Not turn off Windows Firewall Especially important if connecting PC/Laptop to school

10 Scenario 2 Campus Wireless Network On windows 7, and on most of Windows versions, the wireless bar is located at the right hand side of the system bar, close to the system clock:

11 If you click on the wireless bar, the currently available wireless window comes up: Networks requiring a key don t have a yellow shield Open, insecure networks have a yellow shield

12 Click on the network you want to join. You should get a prompt like the following: This is where you would enter the key the school provided. Your laptop will keep this key in a profile, so you will not have to enter it every time, but it would be a good practice to secure this in a document somewhere.

13 A couple of best practices Don t rely solely on campus wireless for critical deadlines. It may be inaccessible when you need it. Don t assume you will have full access to the internet. Some colleges filter access to protect themselves from lawsuits or to preserve bandwidth.

Don t assume you will have full access to the internet.

14 What happens if I don t see the Network I need? Similar Procedure. Click on the wireless bar:

15 click on Open Network and Sharing Center that should bring you to the control panel network management utility:

16 click on Manage wireless networks on left side:

17 On the manage wireless networks page, click add

18 Click Manually create a network Profile

19 Enter Network Name, Select WPA- Personal, Encryption Type (TKIP is default), and Key (or enter school provided info):

20 Scenario 3 Off campus housing Connection to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) will be necessary to get to the internet. Equipment Router/Modem (Optional switch for multiple PC access) Wireless access point (WAP) (Most routers have built in WAPs) Wired or Wireless NIC

Equipment Router/Modem (Optional switch for multiple PC access)

21 Scenario 3- Wired Only

22 Scenario 3 Multiple devices connected

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