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Office of Information Technology
SpartanLink Wifi
Student wireless access is
available in the 1st floor common area of all Residence Halls except Phyllis
Wheatley. To access SpartanLink - WiFi with a laptop, the laptop will need
to meet the following requirements:
Hardware:
Software:
- Windows 2000 or XP operating system
- Anti-Virus software with up-to-date
signatures.
Wireless Ethernet Card
- If you are not sure if your device has a
working Wireless Ethernet card you may follow the
SpartanLink PC Settings directions
- If your device does not have a Wireless Ethernet card and you are
considering buying one, while we cannot and do not endorse a specific
manufacturer, we have had reliable performance with the Proxim Orinoco
line of cards that are 802.11b compatible.
Anti-Virus Software:
- There are many anti-virus software packages
available free online:
- There are many anti-virus software packages available, including Norton,
McAfee, and Trend Micro. Avast has a good anti-virus program that is free
for home users. Please go to the
download page for a
link to the Avast! website.
- An up-to-date anti-virus software must be
installed on your device for it to be eligible for connecting to NSU’s
SpartanLink - WiFi.
Setting up your laptop
If you have a laptop with a functioning Wireless Ethernet card, you may
bring it to the Student Computer Lab on the second floor of the Lyman B.
Brooks Library, Monday through Friday between the hours of 1:00 pm and 5:00
pm to be configured to operate on NSU’s SpartanLink - WiFi.
Call the OIT
Helpdesk at 823-8678 to schedule an appointment. It could take from 30
minutes to 3 hours to configure your laptop depending on how much work
requires to be done.
WiFi Demonstration / Walkthrough is located at:
http://www.nsu.edu/wifi/
Frequently Asked
Questions
What is SpartanLink?
SpartanLink is a
campus network created for student access. It will allow access to the
Internet for web browsing. It consists of two parts, traditional wired
connections and wireless connections. SpartanLink-WiFi is the wireless
portion. It allows students to use a laptop with a wireless Ethernet card to
connect to the Internet.
What is a wireless network?
Wireless networking allows you to use a wireless LAN PC Card in your laptop
to access the NSU Student Network and the Internet without physically
connecting to an Ethernet jack.
Wireless networking is the use of
radio frequency signals to connect portable workstations - such as laptops
or PDAs - to an Ethernet LAN. The concept is very similar to the way that a
cordless phone works.
Where is this access provided?
Currently it is provided in the first floor common area of selected
residence halls. While it may be reachable in the rooms or outside the
building, it is only supported for use in the common area. This component of
SpartanLink is what some schools refer to as Residence Network (ResNet).
What is the range of the signal?
The 802.11b standard wireless networking has a range of about 300 meters in
a large open space, such as an auditorium, and about 100 meters in a typical
indoor office environment. Transmission speeds decrease as the number of
users increase and also as the distance between the laptop and the access
point increases.
How fast is the network?
The speed of the 802.11b wireless network is 11
MB shared. As the number of users on a given Access Point increases the
available bandwidth (aka speed) will be reduced proportionally during that
connection period. Many Access Points also support 802.11g which supports
speed up to 54 Mbps.
Where can I use the wireless network?
Where can I use the wireless
network?
Currently only common areas in selected residence halls have
access to SpartanLink-WiFi. Soon all residence halls will be equipped. There
are plans to also install wireless access in the Library second floor and
Spartan Center common area. Wireless access to individual residence rooms in
the residence halls is planned but a date has not yet been set.
WIFI Coverage Map
Will Outlook / Outlook Express work with
the wireless network?
No. You will
not be able to send or receive email via Outlook / Outlook Express. You can
access your NSU email through your Web Browser.
Will my PDA work with SparatanLink / WIFI?
PDA’s are not currently supported on
SpartanLink-WiFi.
Can I use the wireless card with my home
wireless network or lab wireless network?
You will be able to set up several configurations to use other
networks if you would like. Whether or not it will work depends on the
requirements of the individual network and the type of security on them.
What does the firewall block or not block?
Traffic from your PC to the campus network and to
the Internet is filtered by a firewall. Only HTTP and HTTPS is permitted.
Traffic originating from the Internet to your PC is blocked at the firewall.
This is done to prevent attacks or reduce the likelihood that campus systems
or the campus network will be compromised. Realize that if your PC is
successfully compromised, the attacker can then launch attacks from within
the firewall.
If I setup a web server in my dorm room, can my
family, who lives off campus view my webpage?
No. Individuals located on the Internet are blocked
from accessing your computer. |
