STUDENT-OWNED COMPUTERS, ON-CAMPUS AND OFF-CAMPUS
Every student dormitory room at Trinity has the necessary wiring to connect a
Windows XP Pro, Windows Vista Premium (or higher)
and a Macintosh computer to the campus network. Students
who live off campus, such as IDP and graduate students, can access Trinity's
network resources through their Internet Service Provider (ISP); either DSL or
cable is fine. Please note that older Windows computers that do not run Windows XP
Pro or Vista (for example,
those that run Windows 98 or ME) are not supported on the network in the
dormitories and from off-campus.
The Trinity network provides access for both faculty and students to important software
programs, shared directories and many other resources. Trinity offers a
comprehensive package of network services to all students including electronic mail,
data analysis/reporting, online library
reserve materials, bulletin boards, and campus/national news. Students can pick
up their very own copy of
Microsoft
Office and McAfee VirusScan for Windows or
VirusScan for Mac at no charge as
well.
A short discussion of keywords and terms will prove helpful for what follows.
A computer network is simply a system of wires (much like the telephone system)
by which computers are connected to one another, so that they can share information.
A network resource is a piece of computing hardware which is not directly
connected to your Windows or Macintosh computer, such as a remote printer or a file server, to which you
have access over the network.
A file server is another computer which allows other computers to connect to it
and share its hard disk. A file server might contain programs or data for sharing. File
servers may prompt you for a username and a password.
Requirements for connection to the dorm network differ for Windows computers
and Macs. For more information on recommended specifications, go to
http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/cc/StudentHelpDesk/Purchase/config.htm.
If you are looking to purchase a new computer and need some guidance,
refer to computer purchasing guidelines web page at
http://www.trincoll.edu/RaetherCtr/ComputingCenter/Students/Purchasing.
Machines not meeting at least the minimum
specifications will be severely limited on Trinity's network.
Getting your Windows XP Pro or Macintosh
dorm computer connected to the campus network
is not difficult. Just stop by the
Help
Desk in the LITC on the B level and pick up the
packet of instructions or
access them online from a networked computer. The
Help
Desk is the support center for student networking, both for dorm
networking or home networking if you live off campus and provides instructions for
configuring your computer.
The Help Desk also can tell you how to get your own copy of
Microsoft
Office and McAfee Virus Scan for Windows or
Virex for Mac.
Help Desk hours are listed on the main page of the Computing
Center's web site:
http://www.trincoll.edu/RaetherCtr/ComputingCenter/.
You may also e-mail them at consultants@trincoll.edu.
Once you follow the directions on how to
configure your machine to connect to the
network, you will be able to register your machine and start
using network resources.
Students who are living off-campus may prefer to get Internet service from an
ISP (Internet Service Provider) which can provide the speed of DSL or a cable
modem. You should investigate what your local providers can offer.
More information on connecting to network services from an off-campus location
can be found at
http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/cc/documentation/comm-dialin/DSL_cable/.
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