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.”