- What do I need in order to use the campus Ethernet network?
You will need a 10BaseT, 100BaseT, or 10/100BaseT Ethernet card. Our equipment will auto-negotiate to either 10 or 100 Mbps speeds
dependent upon your network (Ethernet) card. You will also need the drivers that come with the card. These usually reside on a floppy disk
or a CD-ROM. (You may also need your Windows or other operating system CD or disks.)
What kind of cable do I need?
You will need an Ethernet cable. These cables come in various lengths and colors--typically blue, green, gray, or yellow, see
Figure 1. They will have RJ-45 connectors (similar to a standard phone cable connector only larger; see Figure 2 ) on each
end. These cables might also be referred to as Category 5 or Cat 5 (also Cat V) patch cables. The Lycoming College Bookstore located in
the Wertz Student Center has both network cables and cards available for purchase as should any retail store that sells computer related
equipment and supplies.
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| Figure 1 |
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Figure 2 |
Do I need a modem to connect to the Ethernet?
No, a modem is not necessary. Ethernet access and access via modem dial-up are two unrelated methods of access. Refer to questions
3 and 6 below for additional information regarding modems and dial-up access.
- What is the difference in connecting to the Internet by modem and by Ethernet?
Ethernet, which is provided on campus, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and any computer connected by this means (plugged
into an RJ-45 Ethernet jack or in limited rollout via wireless access), powered up and configured properly maintains a full-time,
"always on" connection to the Internet. A modem utilizes a standard RJ-11 phone jack and phone cable and only provides
connectivity for the duration of the telephone call providing the connection. (Note: Ethernet and telephone connections require different
cable types and connectors-see Figure 1 and 2. A phone cable will not work when plugged into an Ethernet
jack.) Another major difference between dial-up access via modem and on-campus Ethernet connectivity is connection speed. Under optimal
conditions, dial-up connections will be significantly slower than Ethernet connectivity.
- Can I use a modem and the Ethernet on the same computer?
Yes, provided that
both the modem and Ethernet card have each been installed and configured
properly. A modem can be beneficial for uses other than Internet
connectivity such as providing voice mail and fax machine functionality
(with the appropriate software). A modem can also provide an alternate
means of Internet connectivity if the computer is moved to a location
where an Ethernet connection is not available-very common with laptops
and other portable computers. (See question
6 below for additional information on dial-up access.) However, there should never
be a circumstance where you will need to use both simultaneously in order
to obtain Internet connectivity.
- How much does my Ethernet connection cost me?
Students are not charged monthly connection fees for this service. This service is provided to you as part of your comprehensive
technology fee.
- What is a network/Ethernet card?
An Ethernet network
adapter (card) provides the interface for communication between a computer
system and an Ethernet network. When determining which adapter to buy,
make sure that it operates at speeds of 10 or 100 Mbps (or both, typically
noted as 10/100 Mbps) on an Ethernet network and that it utilizes an RJ-45
connector. We recommend the purchase of either a 3Com or Netgear
branded network card. Typically these will be internal adapters requiring removal of
the computer's external cover for installation. External USB varieties are
becoming increasingly popular and more widely available and do not require
internal installation. However, these devices are dependent upon the
availability and functionality of a USB port on the computer system.
- What does an Ethernet connection look like on my computer and in the wall?
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On a typical desktop computer system, the RJ-45 connector/port will
look similar to a typical phone jack, only slightly larger (see Figure 3). The hardware configuration of this particular computer system
includes a typical modem (labeled at bottom), as well as two
(2) network cards. One
card is typical of many newer Ethernet network cards. It provides one RJ-45 port (circled in red) and uses a
standard Ethernet (or Cat 5) cable. Most adapters will have LNK
(link) and ACT (activity) lights visible next to the RJ-45 port. You'll notice the RJ-45 adapter's indicator light is not as
obvious (its the small square "dot" to the left of the
port) as those on the wireless network adapter (recognizable by the
attached antennae) installed in the expansion slot above it. On the wireless adapter, the lights are located just to the
left of center on the card-one is amber and one is green.
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Figure 3 |
Figure 4 |
Some desktop systems have what is
known as an "on-board" or "integrated" network
adapter, which is included on the system's motherboard itself. In
this case, the RJ-45 port will often be in close proximity to the
other system ports for the mouse, keyboard, USB, serials, etc (see Figure
4). In the case of laptops, notebooks, and other portables, the
Ethernet adapter can also be integrated, as is the case with newer
systems, but will often be in the form of a PC card (PCMCIA) and
installed in a Type II slot. They typically connect to the network
by means of a short cable adapter known as a dongle (see Figure 5).
Some newer adapters, however, do not use dongles and are,
appropriately enough, known as dongleless adapters (see Figure 6). |
Figure 5
Figure 6 |
Which wall-jack do I plug the Ethernet cable into?
The Ethernet cable should be plugged into the
Ethernet jack. The majority of the Ethernet jacks installed in the
residence halls on campus are blue in color and in close proximity to the
phone jacks, which are gray. Typically both the phone and Ethernet jacks
will be visible on the same faceplate mounted to the wall box.
- Will Ethernet work with any operating system (Windows 95/98, Me, 2000, XP, Linux/Unix, Mac OS, etc.)?
If the Ethernet
adapter you purchased has drivers for your operating system and you
have installed and properly configured the TCP/IP protocol (usually
installed automatically and by default with the installation of a
network adapter) as described for the Windows and Mac operating
systems, you should be able to access the Internet
via the campus Ethernet.
- Can I use a Mac or a PC?
You can use either a Mac or a PC to access the campus Ethernet provided you have an Ethernet adapter properly installed and
configured as well as the TCP/IP protocol.
- How do I install an Ethernet/network card?
It is recommended the
installation be performed by a knowledgeable and experienced computer
technician. The method of installation for an Ethernet adapter is
dependent upon the type of adapter. However, regardless of the type of
system or adapter, this will usually involve physically installing the
adapter as the first step. This may require removing the computer's
external cover and installing an internal adapter in a desktop system,
plugging a cable into a USB port, or installing a PC Card in the PC Card
slot on a laptop. Once the hardware is installed, then the
software/drivers will have to be installed. On a Windows system the new
adapter will typically be detected immediately upon reboot after the
adapter has been installed and the system will prompt for the appropriate
disks. This is accomplished due to the Plug 'n Play (PnP) feature present
on the Windows operating system. However, occasionally an adapter will not
be recognized by the system and will require manual installation and
configuration of the drivers. All adapters should come with installation
instructions and the appropriate system drivers.
Please note that the resident is responsible for the installation and proper operation of any hardware and/or software present on
their computer system. The Information Technology department cannot provide support for the resident's personal computer equipment and
software.
How can I tell if my computer has Ethernet/network card installed already?
Refer to question 7 above for what to look for on your system to determine if you have a
network card installed. Another quick way to check on a Windows machine is
to go to the Control Panel and double-click on the System icon (see Figure
8a and 8b). ForWindows XP, please note you may have to click the "Switch to Classic
View" to find the System icon. (The image below shows Classic View with the option to "Switch to Category View".)
Figure 8a (Windows 95/98/Me/2000)
Figure 8b(Windows XP)
After double-clicking the System icon, a System Properties window will open. Select the Device Manager tab. (In Windows
2000, select the Hardware tab then click the Device Manager button as shown in Figure 9b.) In Device Manger, look for
Network Adapters in the list that is displayed. If necessary, click on the "plus" sign beside Network
Adapters to see what adapters the group contains. If your system has a network adapter installed, it should show up in this group.
There will typically be a Dial-Up Adapter and perhaps several others. Any Ethernet adapters are usually identified with the word
Ethernet (see Figure 9a and 9c). |
Figure 9a |
Figure 9b |
Figure 9c |
- While installing my Ethernet card, the Hardware
Installation Wizard returned an error indicating that it could not find a file. Now what?
This error usually means that the
PnP system that is a part of the Windows operating system needs certain
files in order for the Ethernet card to function properly. These
files should be located on the driver disk (typically a 3.5" floppy,
but might be on a CD) supplied by the manufacturer with the Ethernet card
or on the Windows 95x/Me/2000/XP CD. You should be able to insert the disk
when prompted, change the "Copy Files From" or "Look
in" field to the drive and/or directory containing the needed driver
file(s) and complete the installation.
Occasionally Windows cannot detect the path to the
proper driver file. When
this happens, the system will continue to prompt you for the disk
even though the disk is in the drive. If you are experiencing this situation: First check (once more) to verify that you have the disk or
CD containing the driver files for you particular network card in
the drive. If you do,
assuming your drive is working and the disk is readable, you may
have to specify the exact path to the file you need. |
Figure 10a |
Use the Browse button if it's available in the installation
window to browse the appropriate drive (floppy or CD) and look for a
directory that matches your operating system-i.e. Win95, Win9x,
WinMe, etc. (See Figure 10a and 10b. Note: Windows 95/98 drivers will occasionally work with later
versions of Windows-Me, XP
and 2000.) If a Browse button isn't available, you will have to
browse the disk using Windows Explorer and write down the directory
path-i.e. D:\Drivers\Win98-so you can manually type it into the
"Copy Files From" or "Look In" fields when
prompted. |
Figure 10b |
If you have to use Windows Explorer, it may be
necessary to cancel the installation process. If you can't get to your desktop to double-click on My
Computer to open Windows Explorer, you will have to cancel the
installation process to complete the system reboot in order to get
to your desktop. |
If you have to cancel the installation or you chose to
"Skip" a file at any point during the installation
process, you will need to rerun the installation to re-install the
drivers for the Ethernet card. Canceling or skipping a file often results in a partial
installation. In this
case, the Ethernet card will be added to the "Other
Devices" category, although not as a functioning device. To see if this has happened, open the Control Panel and
double-click the System icon to open the System Properties windows.
Click on the Device Manager tab. (Refer back to question
10, Figure 8a through Figure
9c for help opening Device Manager.) Other Devices is listed
under the yellow question mark icon as shown in Figure 11.
If the yellow question mark icon is not visible, there are no Other
Devices installed.
In this case, look for your Ethernet card under the Network Adapters
category. |
Figure 11 |
Please note, a black on yellow exclamation point (for an
example see Figure 11) or a red
"X" (for an example see Figure 12) over the icon of
an installed device displayed under Device Manager indicates a
problem with the device and that it is not functioning
properly. In this case, or in the case where the Ethernet card
is installed under Other Devices, it is necessary to select and
"remove" the device before attempting to reinstall it.
Otherwise a duplicate device may be installed that can conflict with
the first installation. After removing a device from Device
Manager, you should be prompted to restart your system. If the
Ethernet card is Plug and Play compatible, the system will detect it
and start the installation wizard again during the system restart.
If it is not Plug and Play compatible, go through the manual
installation process for which instructions can usually be found in
the documentation included with the Ethernet card. |
Figure 12 |
- When launching my browser software I get a message
about a dial up connection. What do I do?
This error is typically caused by a misconfiguration within
the Windows Internet Options. It can be fixed by following these
steps:
1. Open the Control Panel
2. Double-click the Internet Options icon to open Internet Properties
3. Click on the Connections tab
4. Select the option "Dial whenever a connection is not
present"; or select the option "Never dial a connection" if
you do not plan to use a dial-up connection regularly (see Figure 13).
5. Click OK or Apply
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Figure 13 |
- I have an Ethernet card installed with the correct
drivers and I have the correct cable but it is still not working. What do I do?
Email the ITS help desk at resnet@lycoming.edu or call the help desk Monday thru Friday
between 9 am and 3:30 pm
- I keep getting an error message about another device on the network using the same IP address. What do I do?
This error message will often occur when another user on the network has improperly configured their system with a static IP
address rather than setting it to "Obtain an IP address automatically." (see Figure
15.) It can also occur when an end user's system is not releasing and renewing their IP address lease properly.
| FOR XP |
For 95/98 |
| 1. Click on the start menu |
1. Click on the start menu |
| 2. Choose "Run" |
2. Choose "Run" |
| 3. Type "command" |
3. Type in "winipcfg" |
| 4. Hit enter |
4. Make sure at the top of the box that pops up, it is on the 3Com etherlink, or the
network card installed in the machine. |
| 5. (This will bring up the command prompt window) |
5. Choose "release all" |
| 6. Make sure you're at a plain c:\>prompt |
6. Then choose "renew all" |
| 7. To get there, type "cd.."
and hit enter until all subdirectories are gone |
7. This should renew your ip address |
| 8. At the c:\>prompt, type "ipconfig/release" |
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| 9. Hit enter |
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| 10. At the c:\>prompt, type "ipconfig/renew |
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| 11. Hit enter |
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| 12. This should renew the ip address |
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When reporting the problem, it is important to report the problem as an IP
conflict. If possible, you should write down the exact wording of
the error message, including all numbers and/or addresses listed.
This information will aid the network technicians in resolving the
problem.(see Figures 15a and 15b.)
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| Figure 15a | Figure 15b |
- I keep getting an error message that something has "...performed and
illegal operation..." every time I try to open a particular application or
perform a specific task. What do I do?
An "illegal operation" error is usually indicative of some
form of resource conflict on the computer system. This can be either
a hardware or software conflict. Often it is a case of multiple
software applications attempting to use the same memory space, but can be
related to other system resources as well. You will need the
assistance of a qualified technician to resolve this type of error.
It often involves identifying and removing conflicting software
applications, but may require a complete system rebuild or reimaging to
correct. Before taking that drastic a measure, however, review any
recent changes to your system. Have you added new software
applications, new hardware or changed system settings? Do you have
an antivirus application running on your system with current virus
definitions and you've preformed a recent complete system scan?
Often if you can undo the change that was made, you can resolve the
conflict. Otherwise, you should seek technical assistance from a
knowledgeable source.
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