Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions
What is ResNet?
What type of computer will I need?
Does UAHuntsville have corporate agreements or "special deals" for students?
Will I need to register my computer to access ResNet?
Can you discuss specific numbers relating to bandwidth?
How can we address specific concerns?

Software Questions
Does UAHuntsville provide hardware or software support?
Is any free software provided to me?
Can I use programs like Vonage or Skype?
Can I use P2P programs like BitTorrent on my computer?

WiFi Questions
Will I be able to access the wireless network from my room in the residence hall?
Can I use my wireless access in different locations on campus?
Are there any plans to expand wireless access?
Can I use my own router to provide additional connections?

Video Game Questions
Can I connect my Xbox 360, Wii, or PS3 to the internet?
Can I play PC games such as World of Warcraft which connect to the internet?


What is ResNet?

The UAHuntsville Residential Network (ResNet) is a joint project of i.t. solutions and the Office of University Housing of the Finance and Administration Division.

With a ResNet connection and an appropriately configured, ethernet-capable PC, a resident can connect directly to the Campus Network for access to host systems, such as the Campus Email System (email.uah.edu), the UAHuntsville home page (www.uah.edu), the M. Louis Salmon Library online catalog (library.uah.edu), and sites on the Internet.

I will be living in one of the residence halls in the fall. What type computer will I need in order to access the Internet from my room's network connection?

UAHuntsville, like many campuses, uses a network authentication application to grant access to its network resources. At present this application supports the Microsoft Windows (XP and Vista) and the popular Apple OS X operating system. Linux distributions are not supported at this time.

The computer will also need to be equipped with an ethernet port. Antivirus software is mandatory for all Windows computers connecting to ResNet or the Campus Wireless Network. The Technical Assistance Group (TAG) offers free McAfee anti-virus software for installation on student and university owned computers. Click here for more details on the free McAfee anti-virus software available through TAG.

Does the university have any special agreements with any of the computer manufacturers or software companies to offer "special deals" for UAHuntsville students?

No, UAHuntsville does not have any special arrangements with computer manufacturers to offer "special deals" on computer hardware, and the only "special deal" for software is the McAfee anti-virus software that is available for free to students through TAG. Most major computer manufacturers and software companies do, however, offer education discounts for college students.

The UAHuntsville Bookstore also sells some computer hardware and software at education discounted prices, but you will need to contact the bookstore directly for more information. The UAHuntsville Bookstore may be reached at (256) 824-6600 or through their website (http://www.uah.bncollege.com). Click here to go to the UAH Bookstore website.

Does the university provide any support for computer hardware or software?

By law, we are prohibited from working on privately owned computer systems. We can, however, help you configure the basic software you already have installed on your computer, should you run into problems when you attempt to register your computer for ResNet.

Will the Office of University Housing have anyone available to help me or my student establish their ResNet connection if they run into problems?

Yes, remote Help Desk locations will be set up in the residence halls during fall move-in to assist residents with connecting their computers to ResNet. We do ask that you read through the steps listed in the ResNet Quick Start Guide before you drop by any of our Help Desk locations. The ResNet Quick Start Guide will be available when you pick up your keys during move-in.

Is any software provided to me as a resident and user of ResNet?

We don't have any application software such as Microsoft Office, but McAfee VirusScan Enterprise edition is available to you for download. You will hear more about this when you arrive during fall move-in.

Can you suggest a place where I can purchase application software for my computer?

Legally, we cannot make any recommendations for a specific store, but we can say that many of the local and Internet resellers offer what they call "Educationally Priced" software for sale at prices that are substantially lower than retail.

Another option available to you is via Sun Corporation's Open Office initiative. Open Office is a powerful, yet free, alternative to some of the commercially available software and in most cases is compatible with Microsoft's Office product. It is important to note that support for Open Office is handled through their website, via volunteers, so your support may not be quite as dependable as one of the commercially available packages.

Also, by default Open Office uses a file format that is a little different from the .doc or .ppt file you may be familiar with if you are a Microsoft Word or PowerPoint user. You do, however, have the option to do a "save as" to Word or PowerPoint file formats. We strongly recommend you check with your instructor to see what kind of file format he or she requires you to use.

We use Vonage, Skype or one of the other low-cost IP phone programs at our home. Can I use these from my ResNet or TelSTAR (wireless) connection?

No. Skype is a peer-to-peer application and is, unfortunately, not allowed on campus. Vonage and other similar IP telephone programs are not supported either.

Will I need to register my computer in order to access the ResNet service?

Yes, each computer that connects to our campus network must be registered. You will receive an information packet from us during fall move-in that describes the actual process.

Will I be able to access the wireless network from my room in the residence hall?

Wireless network access is not "officially" available in any of the residence halls at this time, although many of the residents in Southeast Campus Housing (SECH) report being able to access the wireless network through transmitters in nearby buildings.

Are there any plans to expand wireless in any of the other University Housing complexes?

Yes, the wireless network will be expanded to include other University Housing complexes as funding is available.

Can I use the Campus Wireless Network while I am in another campus facility and my ResNet connection when I am in my residence hall?

Yes, you can access both ResNet and the wireless network with the same computer. The only catch is that you will need to configure your computer to use TelSTAR (the Campus Wireless Network) in addition to registering it for use with your ResNet connection.

To configure your computer to access the Campus Wireless Network, either download the appropriate Wireless Quick Start Guide for your computer's operating system from the TAG website or pick up a copy at the TAG Help Desk in the library. The Wireless Quick Start Guides provide step-by-step instructions for to set up your computer to log in to the Campus Wireless Network. Click here for more information on the Campus Wireless Network and to download the Wireless Quick Start Guides.

Please note that TAG and i.t. solutions do not provide Campus Wireless Network support during fall move-in. Fall move-in is an extremely busy time of year for our support teams and tends to stretch our resources fairly thin. As a result, TAG gives priority to supporting students having problems connecting to the wired ResNet during the first week of the fall semester.

Can I use a wireless access point or router to provide additional access through my room's ResNet connection?

No. Wireless access points and routers are strictly prohibited on our campus as they can create security holes for our network and can cause stability problems when they are not properly configured. Use of unauthorized devices is considered a serious violation of the campus network and ResNet usage policies, and you can be referred to the Student Judicial Board if you are found to be using one of these devices.

Can I connect my Xbox or other game device to my ResNet connection?

Not presently, although i.t. solutions is investigating the possibility of creating a VLAN to provide an avenue for devices of this type to connect to the network. You are, however, welcome in the meantime to use any PC-based games on the network so long as those gaming activities are within bounds and don't interfere with other network traffic.

Can I use a peer-to-peer application to share files with my friends and colleagues?

No. Peer-to-peer applications create a serious bandwidth issue, so their use is prohibited across the entire Campus Network. That includes the wireless network, ResNet, and any university-owned computers with wired connections to the Campus Network.

Am I allowed to play online video games like World of Warcraft through my ResNet connection?

There are no restrictions on playing online video games. Although we don't have any real restrictions to keep you from doing this, we do ask that you limit your game play hours during university business hours, Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm. Why? You are sharing network bandwidth with your fellow UAHuntsville students and faculty/staff members. Remember if you are using a lot of bandwidth for your game or download, you are limiting the amount of bandwidth available to other ResNet and campus users.

What is the bandwidth allocation available to ResNet and the campus?

Generally, we make it a policy not to discuss available bandwidth numbers and other technical issues about our network with anyone without a demonstrated need to know.

Here's why...

A couple of years ago some well-meaning staff and students discussed some bandwidth figures as part of the process of correcting a problem we were experiencing with our network. Unfortunately, some of that information was discussed with other persons. The numbers discussed were misinterpreted, and this lead to a whole lot of unnecessary confusion on the part of ResNet users. With this in mind, we decided to limit discussions of this detail to people on a need-to-know-basis.

Also, the bandwidth allocated to the campus users, including ResNet, varies from day to day based on demand. We make adjustments many times each day to maximize performance based upon actual demand.

We can say that if you had a 6 or 10 Mb cable modem connection at home, you should not expect the same performance with your ResNet connection, although your connection should be adequate for general web browsing, email, gaming and other related activities.

Does the campus, or Housing, have a committee or body of members who address general Housing or ResNet concerns?

Yes. Each housing complex has a Residential Hall Association or "RHA", which meets on a regular basis to discuss issues of importance to the Housing community. The RHA has members who also serve on the ResNet Judicial and Advisory Committee, which addresses ResNet specific issues. If you are new to the campus and would like to learn more about RHA, we encourage you to contact the director of your University Housing complex for more information.

Does UAHuntsville provide hardware or software support?

By law, we are prohibited from working on privately-owned computers.  We can, however, help you configure the basic software you already have installed on your computer, should you run into problems when you attempt to register your computer for ResNet.

Is any free software provided to me?

We do not have any application software such as Microsoft Office, but as a registered UAHuntsville student you are welcome to use our version of McAfee VirusScan Enterprise edition antiviral software.  Do note that you must be on campus in order to download this software.  Also, it is important that you uninstall any existing antiviral software packages prior to installing the McAfee software.  Failing to do so will not result in damage to your system, but you will experience dramatic performance problems if more than one AV application is installed.