Connecting to the Internet
NSIT Connectivity Package
NSIT develops and distributes a collection of Internet software, known as the NSIT Connectivity Package, to current students, faculty, and staff. This software configures your computer for connection to the campus network. The Connectivity Package supports both on-campus direct Ethernet connections and off-campus dial-up connections. It is available free of charge for current Windows and Macintosh operating systems.
The Connectivity Package provides tools for access to the Internet. These include the following: the Firefox web browser for web access; Thunderbird for email; an ssh client for interactive logins to the NSIT Server Cluster; and an SFTP client for file transfer (which can be used to upload files to your personal web page). Extras in the Connectivity Package include virus protection.
After Orientation, you can find the NSIT Connectivity Package CD at the following locations:
NSIT Solution Center
970 E. 58th St., Room 340
(third floor of the Bookstore building)
ID & Privileges Office
Regenstein Library
1100 E. 57th St., Room 100F
(first floor near the turnstiles)
(773) 702-8782
You can also download it from http://connectivity.uchicago.edu.
Using the Campus Network
The entire campus, including residence halls, is wired for Ethernet, which provides a direct connection to the campus network and to the Internet. Additionally, all residence halls have wireless access points in public areas and all except Shoreland Hall have wireless throughout; wireless is also available in Library study areas and in most other high-traffic areas of campus.
Since Ethernet is both faster and more reliable than wireless, we recommend that students who live on campus use Ethernet rather than wireless when connecting to the network from their rooms. Incoming undergraduates are given a free Ethernet cable in their NSIT welcome package.
For more information on accessing the Internet from your residence hall room, please see the section entitled Internet Access from Residence Halls.
The University also provides free dial-up service for students who live off-campus. However, most students prefer to contract for third-party broadband access – either DSL or cable modems. Note that you are liable for the telephone connection costs associated with dialing in.
If you need to access the campus network from a significant distance from campus, AT&T Global Network Services is available. This service offers fast and reliable Internet access through AT&T's network of over 1000 access points throughout the world plus dial-in access and support 24 hours/7 days a week. It allows you to connect at up to 56K and is available for Windows and the Macintosh. Detailed information and pricing is available at: http://nsit.uchicago.edu/services/attglobal/.
