How Do I Connect my Macintosh to the Trinity Network with Mac OS?

The steps outlined in this document are meant to guide you through registering your personal computer on the Trinity network. You may register your computer at any time, however it must be done once every academic year if you wish to remain on the college's network.

Preface: Setting Up the Computer

1. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for plugging together the computer, monitor, keyboard, and mouse for desktop computers.
2. Next, if you have a printer, follow its installation instructions as well.
3. Getting Plugged In:
   • Make sure your Mac is turned off.
   • Take the network cable that came with your computer and plug one end into the back of the network interface card.  NOTE: If you didn't get a network cable (also called an Ethernet or RJ45 cable) with your computer or network card, they can be purchased at the book store in Mather. This cable is different from a phone/modem cable as it has eight colored wires instead of four.
   • Now you need to plug the Ethernet cable into the Ethernet jack in your room. Make sure it's not a phone/modem cable because these can damage your Ethernet jack! Depending upon which residence hall you are in, there are different ways of identifying the Ethernet jack: 
     • The Ethernet jack has yellow marking, so it is easy to tell which it is. Also, there is one (1) Ethernet jack per resident – roommates do not have to share a single data jack.
     • If you are living in High Rise or Doonesbury, you must use the data jack in your bedroom. The Ethernet jack in the common room is not active. These residence halls have one (1) Ethernet jack per resident.
4. Turn on your computer!

Part One: How to Get Your Computer to Speak the Language of the Trinity Network

Setting up Ethernet on Mac OS X10.4 (Tiger):

1. From the Apple menu at the top left of the screen, select System Preferences.
   
2. From the Internet & Network  option, select Network. 
   
   
3. Under the Location drop down menu, select Automatic.
   
4. Select Built-in Ethernet from the menu of network devices.
    
5. Click on the Configure button.
   
    
6. Make sure that the drop down menu labeled Configure IPv4 is set to Using DHCP. This will allow your computer to obtain an address automatically from Trinity's servers.
    
7. To obtain a valid Trinity network address, click on the Renew DHCP Lease button. After doing this, your old IP address should change to one that starts with 157.252.x.x, signifying that this address is a valid Trinity address.
    

Setting up Ethernet on Mac OS X10.3:

1. From the Apple menu at the top left of the screen, select System Preferences.
   
2. From the Internet & Network  option, select Network. 
   
   
   

3. Under the Location drop down menu, select Automatic.
   
4. Under the Show drop down menu, select Built-in Ethernet.
   
5. Click on the TCP/IP tab ensure Configure is set to "Using DHCP"
   
6. Click on the AppleTalk tab and check Make AppleTalk Active.
   
7. Select Apply Now to save your changes.

Part Two: Register Your Personal Computer on the Network

Everyone needs to register their computer on the network each academic year if they want to be able to access the Internet.  Computers that are not properly registered will not be able to access web sites outside of the Trinity domain nor will they be able to use other internet services like instant messaging.  Registering your computer is easy, just follow these simple steps:

1. Open a web browser (like Safari or Firefox). The only page you should have access to is http://ipassign.trincoll.edu.
2. The ipassign page will not let you view any other web pages or have any internet activity until you have registered your computer on the network. You will need a valid user login and password to register your computer.
3. Follow the directions that appear.  When asked to enter your Student ID Number, enter your student or faculty ID number located above the bar code on your Trinity ID.
4. Select your dorm or building location and whether your computer is a desktop or a laptop (portable).
5. You do not need to enter any "additional description" unless you wish to.

Part Three: Activate you Email account.

First year students who have not already done so will need to activate their new email accounts by following the instructions below. Make sure you have a pen and piece of paper handy to write down your account name and password.

1. Open a web browser and enter http://mail.trincoll.edu/ in the address box.
2. Click on the first "Activate Your E-mail, Blackboard, and other Trinity Accounts (Students Only)" link.
   Follow the directions that appear. You will need your Student ID number on your Trinity ID.
3. Confirm the information that follows.  Please note your email address and password!

Part Four: Customize your Email Client.

Now you should setup your e-mail client (the program that you use to check your e-mail on your personal computer: Entourage, Mail...). You will find these programs more convenient to check your mail than using webmail, and you'll be able to download e-mail from the mail server and save onto your computer so you will not run out of server storage space. We provide the documentation for few most widely used e-mail clients for MAC computers. Go to the proper link below and you will find documentation for the corresponding e-mail client. General information regarding email can be found online at http://www.trincoll.edu/RaetherCtr/ComputingCenter/GeneralServices/E-mail/

MAC E-mail Clients:
(Links below do not contain "space" characters, instead these are "_" underscore characters)
Entourage v.X: http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/cc/documentation/email/mac_entourage/
Mail Program MAC OS v.X: http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/cc/documentation/email/mac_mail_program/
 

Be sure to read about all the resources you have available to you in the Handbook of Student Computing. Important detailed information--such as how to obtain *free* virus protection and Microsoft office through the Trinity Campus Agreement, help guides, etc.--is also available on the Trinity College Computing Documentation web page at http://www.trincoll.edu/RaetherCtr/ComputingCenter.

Questions or problems?

Please write down any error messages that may have appeared and give the Help Desk a call at x2007. In most cases, a consultant can diagnose your problem over the phone. If the problem can’t be fixed over the phone, the Help Desk is available to work on student computers every weekday after 4:30pm and on weekends.

Before calling please have the following information handy:

• Where in the instructions you encountered the problem (Part # and Step #)
• What operating system you are running (Mac OS 10.4, 10.3) and
• Any error messages you receive.  Please don't try to recall them from memory or paraphrase.  If you write them down verbatim it will MUCH more helpful.