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Wireless Support |
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Wireless Networking - Support
Most laptops come with wireless network cards installed,
preconfigured with the correct drivers, and enabled. When a
user is within range of the student wireless network at Palomar
College, named "InternetOnly" his laptop's wireless network card
will autoscan, find the network, and attach to it. No login is
required and the network communications are not encrypted, meaning
that no security key is required to connect. It should all
happen automatically and require not set up on the part of the user.
If users cannot connect, there may be several possible reasons,
presented here in descending order of probability:
- They are not in range on a wireless access
point. Move to a known area where wireless
access is available and test there. The ground
floor of the library, room LL-103 should have a
strong signal.
- The wireless network is down or otherwise
unavailable. The IS help desk is the place to
ask if this is the case. Their campus phone
extension is 2140.
- The user--or someone working on the user's
laptop--has disabled the wireless network. To
enable it, go to network settings (on a PC this will
be in the control panel, on a Mac in system
preferences) and enable the wireless connection.
- The user--or someone working on the user's
computer--has disabled one of the network wireless
protocols (the (b), (g) or (n) communication
standards used by wireless network cards. Once
again, this can be controlled in wireless network
settings on the user computer. On Windows, the
network settings can be found in the control panel.
On Macs, it can be found in system preferences.
- The user has installed an after-market wireless
card that does not work correctly or that does not
have the correct drivers loaded. This is rare,
these days, because most laptops come with
preconfigured cards. If this is the case, read
the manual that came with your wireless network card and load the
drivers in accordance with the manufacturer's
specifications. Once configured correctly, your card should automatically detect
Palomar's "InternetOnly" wireless network. If you do not see
this network listed among the wireless networks available to your
system, refresh your list of networks. No password and no
login are required for our wireless network.
Please be aware that many ports are blocked for
security reasons on the InternetOnly wireless network at
Palomar College. If certain applications will not
work for you, this is probably the reason. The
normal http port is not blocked and all normal browsing
of the Internet should work correctly.
Please also be aware that communications over the
wireless network are not encrypted. This means
that no security key is required to access it. It
also means that communications could be intercepted by
unauthorized personnel with the correct hardware and
software.
Finally, be aware that use of the Palomar College
wireless network is subject to the same
Palomar Community
College District Procedures and Guidelines for
Telecommunications Access and Use as all
other communications assets at the college.
For phone support, call the Academic Technology help desk at
campus extension 2657, or visit the help desk in person on
the ground floor of the library building, room LL-103 (see LL
building on the East of the
campus map).
We will do our best to advise you on how to connect to the wireless
network, but we will not physically work on your computer.
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