Wireless offers more freedom
CSU is working to make Internet access on campus more convenient
for students through the development of a campus wireless
network.
Wireless Internet access is available throughout the most of
campus, including the Lory Student Center, Morgan Library, and the
Clark, Eddy, Chemistry and Weber buildings, as well as in all
residence halls’ dining centers.
“For the most part, the buildings are covered in their
entirety,” said Richard Duffy, an IT professional with Academic
Computing and Networking Services.
Duffy said ACNS is also working to set up wireless access in
most of the large classrooms on campus, and that the new residence
hall on Pitkin Street will have complete wireless coverage.
“The majority of campus departments are working with us to go
wireless,” Duffy said. “We’re trying to get some consistency no
matter what building you go into.”
To access CSU’s wireless network, a person must install a
wireless card into his or her laptop computer.
Wireless cards can be purchased at most electronics stores.
Then people must install and configure a Virtual Private
Network, which “uses encryption and other security mechanisms to
ensure that only authorized users can access the network and that
data cannot be intercepted,” according to the ACNS Web site,
colostate.edu/acns.
Students, faculty and staff can download a VPN from the ACNS
site.
“To use the campus wireless, you must have a VPN,” Duffy said.
“If you’re not associated with CSU, we really don’t want you using
our network.”
Temporary guest accounts are available through ACNS for
university visitors.
Morgan Library is connected to the wireless network and has
coverage throughout the building. Students can check out laptops
that are already configured for wireless access for use inside the
library.
“Right now there are 80 (laptops) put out, and we’re getting
another 20 ready to put out,” said Ryan Alvarado, a network
administrator for the library. “There are times when they’re all
checked out and people are waiting, and that doesn’t even include
people who use their own computer on the wireless network.”
The library also offers data jacks for student use. Students can
bring their own computers and Internet cable and connect to the
Internet. These jacks usually do not require a user to reconfigure
his or her existing Internet connections.
“They’re mainly on the first and second floors (of the library),
so you can hardwire, basically, to a data jack,” Alvarado said.
Paulo Tabares, a mechanical engineering graduate student, said
he brings his computer to use the library’s data jacks about four
days a week.
“It’s a quiet place, you have the Internet, it’s a better place
to study and do my homework, and if I need something, like a book,
I can get it here,” he said.
Tabares said he would like to go to the wireless network, but he
cannot install a wireless card on his computer. For now, he enjoys
the convenience of the library’s data jacks, but he said: “You are
kind of limited here (in the number of jacks). Going to wireless
would help.”
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