Wireless Access in the Library
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[edit] General Information About Wireless Access
The Loyola Notre Dame Library is now a Wi-Fi hot-spot. Most public locations in the library are Wi-Fi accessible on all four floors. Laptops equipped with Wi-Fi cards (PC or Mac) can now take advantage of wireless Internet access for Web and e-mail usage.
Wi-Fi wireless networks use radio waves to communicate. Wireless computers must be equipped with radio transmitter/receivers (Wi-Fi cards) to take advantage of the service. Wireless computers require central hubs to communicate with. These hubs are called Access Points. Laptops (through a log-on routine) make themselves known to the Access Points and through them communicate to the wireless network.
[edit] Using Your Own Laptop With a Wireless Card
No real configuration should need to be done.
If you're in an area of the library where there is signal, the wireless adapter in your laptop should pick up the existence of the wireless LAN, and display a balloon in the system tray stating "One or more wireless networks have been detected. Click on this balloon to configure."
Click on the balloon, and it should show you the Loyola network, and a check box that says "Allow me to connect to this network even though it is not secure." Check this box if it is not checked already, and click on the Connect button.
Your laptop should automatically get an IP address from Loyola's server. To check this, try accessing a webpage. If you are able to get to the Internet, you should be all set. If not, there is most likely a hardware incompatibility between your wireless adapter, and the wireless transmitter/receiver used by Loyola. If there is a problem, please contact the company that manufactured your adapter, or your computer company; the library will not offer support for machines it does not own.
If you have problems getting your laptop to access our wireless network, you are welcome to use one of the library's public computers. Current Loyola and Notre Dame students with valid ID have the added option of checking out one of the laptops available at the circulation desk.
Please make sure you scan your laptop regularly for viruses. If the network scanners discover a laptop that is infected, you may be denied access to the wireless network. For additional resources, click on one of the links below (links will open in a separate window):
[edit] On-Campus Help
[edit] Anti-Virus Software (purchase may be required)
Commercial site where you can purchase anti-virus software, or get virus alerts.
This is also a commercial site with virus alerts, but McAfee also has some free utilities and beta software available for download.
This is a free stand-alone utility that detects and removes specific viruses. It should be used in conjuction with a program that offers full anti-virus protection.
[edit] For Virus Alerts
This free virus alert page is maintained by Network Associates, McAfee's parent company.
Symantec's free virus alert page.
The Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) is a government agency responsible for "protecting our nation's Internet infrastructure by coordinating defense against and response to cyber attacks." This site, maintained by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University, contains information on all kinds of system vulnerabilities (including viruses), and offers advice on how to fix or avoid them.
