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Home > Student Guide College Student Guide To High Speed InternetThe Internet has quickly become an integral part of college life. In many cases, it is not possible to take certain classes without the Internet. This means students need access to both an Internet connection and a computer. While most students today are well versed in Internet usage from DSL to Cable to even Fiber Optic and Satellite connectivity there are many particulars to college Internet access that must be considered. A student will need the proper hardware, software, and an Internet Access account. HardwareOf course a computer is required, and in many cases a laptop will be the superior choice for a student for obvious reasons. Specific colleges might have a preference between Macintosh and PC’s but for the most part almost all college networks are open to either. Be sure and ask a Student Advisor which system would be preferable at a particular campus. Regardless of the operating system, certain hardware requirements must be met by any computer used by a student. These requirements include a network card and Cat 5 Cable for desktop computers and a WiFi card for laptops that will access wireless networks. Network Cards are necessary for students to access high speed Ethernet networks that are available in almost all student housing. The Network Interface Card, or NIC, provides the student’s computer with a direct connection to the schools network. These networks A Cat 5 Cable, also sometimes referred to as a Data Cable, resembles a phone jack, but is much larger. The Cat 5 cable plugs into the Network Card in the back of the PC, and is then plugged A WiFi Card will be required to take advantage of wireless networks currently in place on many campuses. A Wireless Network Internet Controller, or WNIC, connects a There may be additional system requirements that a campus network may have for a given Mac or PC. Satisfactory minimum system requirements might be: Apple Macintosh Computers
Windows (PC) Computers
These system stats are just an example and most campus computer labs and libraries will have what system requirements students must meet. The above requirements should meet any campus standards. Many college libraries have programs available to students that let them check out laptops for short periods of time. This might be valuable to a new student who has yet to get their computer up and running. SoftwareSoftware includes a myriad of applications including an operating system, security suites, word processors, email applications and more. Here we will look at the most common programs a student will need, and give a brief description of each. What operating system a student uses is much less important than how up to date the OS is. Most campus networks will support Macintosh or Windows operating systems, but only if they have the latest security fixes already installed. Many times a college network will be designed to scan a user’s computer to make sure no viruses are being propagated. If the detection software discovers an out of date operating system it possible that the Internet connection will be terminated until updates are done. Updating the OS: Windows It is imperative that any Windows OS that is accessing the Internet via a campus network is as up to date as possible. Windows Update can be accessed here and can be used to scan a Windows OS and offer the latest updates. It is also possible to set a computer to automatically update itself. Read how to set this up here. Updating the OS: Macintosh Go to Macintosh OS Service and Support to download the latest updates. In order to update the OS follow these guidelines:
The Mac can also be set to update itself automatically. This can be done by going too:
Spyware detection and removal is very important, and most campuses require security software to be installed before network access is granted. Common security products in use are:
Symantec antivirus software is probably the most popular security product available. This software scans all incoming and outgoing information for security threats and takes action to correct any problems. Emails are automatically checked, as are web sites. The Live Update feature makes sure that the antivirus software is a current on all threats. Most colleges make a copy available to students, A personal firewall is also very important. Windows XP and Vista both have a personal firewall built into the product and it is highly recommended that it is updated and activated. Each college IT department is going to have its own guidelines on what security products to use and this information will be readily available at any computer lab or on-campus library. Remember that most of the time these security products are available to students via the college network at greatly reduced prices or even free. If a student’s computer comes “pre-loaded” with security software, it may be in the best interest of the student to uninstall the software and download the security suit made available by the school. Before doing this however check with the campus computer lab or library on what software is available. Internet AccessBy far the easiest part of this set up process is the Internet Account. Internet access is provided by almost all colleges now, and when a student signs up for classes they are generally charged for this service. The school will automatically set up a username and password for the student, and this information will be most often provided shortly after registration. To begin a search for Internet Service Providers, plesae return to the home page. |
operate much like the more familiar cable and DSL networks most students will be accustomed too, and a Cat 5 (Category 5) cable is required to connect the PC to the network connection. 
into the Ethernet connection which is probably a set of data jacks in the wall often times installed close to the phone jack. Almost all computers today have a NIC already installed, however if one is needed most college book stores carry them. Most cards will work, however make sure that the NIC is 10/100Mbps compatible or an Ethernet connection may not be possible.
computer to a wireless network in the same manner as a NIC connects a PC to an Ethernet network. The WNIC sends data to the wireless access point on campus via radio waves. The wireless access point receives the data and converts it to data packets and sends it on its way via the wired network on campus. | Copyright © 2002-2008 Web Exordium, LLC. High Speed Internet Access Guide. |