»Computing for Resident Halls

Ethernet

Every residence hall room will be equipped with both two voice (telephones) and two data (Ethernet) jacks in rooms with two occupants or one voice and three data in rooms with three occupants. In rooms with two occupants, the top two ports are for voice, and the bottom two ports are for data. In rooms with three occupants, the top-right port is for voice, and the top-left and bottom two ports are for data. The voice cable is a standard phone connection, also known as an RJ-11 cable. The data port uses an Ethernet or RJ-45 cable. The two types of face plates you will find in your room are shown below. When connected, there should be blinking lights on your computer at the Ethernet port.

    

V = Voice port, D = Data port (Ethernet), and W = Chapman’s wireless port only (Do NOT use or remove this cable)

Many factors can affect your computer's performance on the residential network. Please follow this checklist to make sure your computer is configured for optimal performance.

Make sure your computer is not infected with a virus and that the antivirus software is up to date with the latest antivirus data files.

Check whether your computer is infected with spyware. Spyware is the most common cause of poor network performance on the residential network. You should download and install one or more anti-spyware programs, then run them regularly to remove spyware from your computer.

For the best performance on Chapman's network, you should use an Ethernet cable, which can be purchased at Chapman's bookstore or any electronics store.

Wireless Network Performance

Most of the rooms and public areas of Chapman's residence halls are covered by the campus wireless 802.11 b/g network. Your computer must be properly configured to access the Chapman wireless network. Please contact the Service Desk for assistance with configuring your computer for connecting to the Chapman wireless network.

Several factors can affect the performance of the wireless network, such as:

1. Personally owned firewall/router devices. Many students bring their own firewalls and routers to campus. These routers can become "rogue" DHCP servers and assign invalid IP addresses to other student computers, preventing them from accessing the Internet. These "rogue" devices will interfere with Chapman students trying to connect to Chapman’s wireless network. Chapman does not allow personally owned firewalls or routers to be used on the network. Students are subject to disciplinary action by the Student Conduct Committee if they violate the policy of installing personal firewall/routers.
2. Personally owned wireless access nodes. Many students bring their own wireless access nodes to campus and connect them to our wired network. These "rogue" wireless access nodes prevent other students from connecting to the Chapman network. If you are having trouble connecting to Chapman’s wireless network, please call the Service Desk at (714) 997-6600. Students are subject to disciplinary action by the Student Conduct Committee if they violate the policy of installing personal access points and personal gateways.
3. Personally owned wireless printers. Wireless printers act as "rogue" wireless access points, preventing other students from connecting to the Chapman network. Also, a wireless printer will allow any student to use your printer at any time of day. To use any printer in your room, you need to buy a USB cable and connect the printer to your computer via USB.
4. Bridged network interfaces. Some students have, perhaps by accident, configured their computers to bridge the Ethernet and wireless interfaces. This interferes with connectivity. If you use the wireless interface on your computer, please make sure that it is not bridged with the Ethernet interface.
5. 2.4 GHz cordless phones. The wireless 802.11b/g network operates at 2.4 GHz. Cordless phones operating at 2.4 GHz can interfere with wireless network signals. Older cordless phones operating at 900 MHz and newer cordless phones operating at 5.8 GHz do not interfere with the wireless data network. 900 MHz and 5.8 GHz cordless phones are permitted, but 2.4GHz cordless phones are prohibited in the residence halls because they can interfere with the wireless network.
6. Microwave Ovens. These ovens also operate at 2.4 GHz and can interfere with wireless network signals. Microwave ovens are prohibited except for the ones in the "micro fridge" units that you can rent from the Housing Office.