Yes, all student rooms in all residence halls are wired for access to the Internet. There is an Ethernet jack for each student (one in a single room, two in doubles, etc.). The jacks are "live"--wired to be able to access the College's Internet connection.
· a computer with an appropriate operating system, sufficient speed, etc.
· an Ethernet card (please note that this is not a modem)
· an Ethernet cable to connect your computer to the wall jack
· proper configuration of your computer's networking software (TCP/IP enabled and set to obtain an IP address automatically from a DHCP server)
Wells holds "Installation Fairs" during orientation week and at the beginning of each term to help you get connected to the Internet by installing Ethernet cards and helping you configure your networking software. Wells cannot do installations or configurations at other times, so be sure to make use of the Fairs.
If you are buying a new computer it will save time and trouble to buy it with an Ethernet card already installed. Perhaps you or a friend or family member will know how to load the TCP/IP protocol and set the IP address to DHCP (“Obtain an IP address automatically”). Wells Computer Services can provide a help sheet for configuring your computer.
All of the computers in the public computer labs and the Library online room have Internet access. Also, if you have a laptop computer, you can plug it in throughout the "Bring Your Own Laptop" areas in the Library and in some other public locations around the campus such as the Sommer Student Center and get on the Internet.
If you bring your own computer you can be on the Internet directly in your room and--with a laptop--from the Library and other locations around campus. It is always most convenient to have your own computer and printer. On the other hand, there is a large number of high-level computers available in the public computer labs including in Main and Weld residence halls, so anyone without a computer in their room will almost always have access to a good computer and laser printer.
Nearly all new computers should have adequate speed, memory, hard drive space, etc. to do what you need for general academic computing; specialized tasks such as digital imaging and digital video will require higher-end computers. Be sure to buy a computer that has or that can accept an Ethernet card. A general rule is that the more you invest in a quality computer with greater processor speed, more memory, larger hard drive, etc., the longer it will serve you before it begins to seem obsolete. Buying a reliable computer from a reputable company that will provide good support is most important.
Wells Computer Services may attempt to help diagnose network problems if you have trouble with your Internet connection, but it cannot repair privately-owned computers. Wells will recommend companies to which you can take your computer for repair.
Wells currently maintains 81 high-level computers in 10 computer labs for general student use in the academic buildings, the Library, and in two residence halls (Main and Weld). All labs have high-speed laser printers. When the academic labs are not being used by classes they are available for use by individual students. There are also four specialized computer classrooms/labs devoted to class work in specific disciplines such as digital imaging/digital video with an additional 17 computers.
Wells uses both IBMs and Macintoshes in its general labs (currently 58 IBMs and 23 Macintoshes). Wells is standardized on Microsoft Windows 98 for IBM-compatible computers, and Mac OS 8.x for Macintoshes.
Wells is currently standardized on Microsoft Office 97 Professional (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook) for IBM-compatible computers and Office 98 Professional (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) for Macintoshes. These packages are available on all student lab computers. All lab computers also have a suite of Internet applications (Netscape Communicator, telnet, FTP, and dedicated email programs--Pegasus for IBMs, Eudora for Macintoshes) and anti-virus programs (McAfee anti-virus for IBMs, Symantec Anti-virus for Macintosh).
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Revised: July 31, 2001