ITC provides and maintains the network infrastructure to allow on-Grounds' computer users access to U.Va. resources and the Internet. We provide detailed wired configuration information below for connecting your computer to the U.Va. network while on Grounds. Please see the "Related Links" on this page for information about wireless networking and its configuration.
Setting Up Your Wired Network Configuration
For instructions on how to configure your desktop computer for accessing the U.Va. network, select the Quickstart Guide appropriate for your operating system below:
Network Card Installation
For Students
If you already have a computer or purchase something other than a DCI computer from Cavalier Computers, and it needs an Ethernet card/adapter or if you have problems with a pre-installed Ethernet card/adapter, call the ITC Help Desk at (434) 924-3731 for advice on getting your card installed and working.
For Faculty and Staff
For those in University-owned facilities, no modem is needed, since rooms and offices generally have a direct network connection. To access the network from these on-Grounds' locations, an Ethernet card is required to be installed in the computer. Contact your Local Support Partner (LSP) for assistance.
Dorm Network Information for Students
While the evolution of the Internet has greatly expanded the usefulness of network connections, ITC's focus has remained on first ensuring high-speed access to on-Grounds' resources and, secondly, on providing good response times for commonly-used Internet applications such as browsing the Web, Instant Messenger, file transfer, and other similar services.
Areas of concern in the student housing facilities include:
- Excessive network capacity usage
Dorm network traffic is managed so that:- Traffic from any individual computer is 180 times the speed of a normal 56 kbps dial-up modem.
- Each machine has an overall rate limitation of 512 kbps for inbound traffic.
Excessive usage results in:
- Email notification for overuse.
- Overuse occurs when a computer consumes network capacity at a rate of more than five (5) standard deviations above the mean consumption of all student computers.
- Overuse offenses will use a 14-day focus period:
- First incident of the year - 3 offenses in a period move all devices to the time out box for 7 days
- Second incident of the year - 3 offenses in a period move all devices to the time out box for 30 days
- Third incident of the year - 3 offenses in a period move all devices to the time out box for 130 days
- The timeout impacts all devices registered. A computer or device in the timeout state will experience network performance limited to the speed of a 56kbps modem
Read the complete policy, "Network Capacity Management in Student Residence Areas", for more information.
- Behind-the-network firewall or not?
A firewall works by preventing remote Internet users from making in-bound connections to your computer while at the same time allowing you to connect to any remote site on the Internet.- U.Va. More Secure network - complete description of firewalls and applications.
- Click here if you must move your computer out from behind the firewall.
Read the complete policy, "U.Va. Student Residence Hall Network Firewall", for more information.
- Choosing an FTP client
The FTP protocol has a standard mode and a passive (PASV) mode of operation. FTP clients using passive mode can not be detected by our traffic shaping rules and their traffic is shaped by the system. Netscape Communicator uses passive mode and should be avoided when downloading files over the Internet using FTP. Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) works using this standard mode and is recommended for use when downloading data over the Internet using FTP.Read the complete FTP policy, "Residence Hall Network FTP Traffic Shaping Policy", for more information.