Using Mac OS X in my IUB or IUPUI campus housing residence, what should I do if I'm having trouble connecting to the IUB or IUPUI campus network?

The IU Secure wireless network is available in all IU Bloomington and IUPUI dormitory residence halls, as well as Campus View and Hillcrest Apartments. If IU Secure is not yet available in your campus residence, you may operate a properly configured, FCC-approved wireless access point (WAP) as an exception to the IT-19 Extending the University Data Network and IT-20 Wireless Networking policies from the University Information Policy Office (UIPO). Once IU Secure is available in your residence, this exception will no longer apply and you will need to remove your WAP from the network. For details, see At IUB, if my campus residence does not yet have IU Secure wireless network access, how do I configure a wireless access point?

If you're having problems connecting to the Indiana University Bloomington or IUPUI network with your Mac OS X computer from your campus housing residence, go through the following steps. If the solutions below don't help and you are having trouble with the network configuration on your computer, contact your campus Support Center.

1. Make sure that your network cable is firmly seated in the data jack and the network adapter. The connecters on network cables are much like those of a common telephone cord (although the network cable heads are slightly larger). To ensure that the plug is set firmly in the slot, insert the connector until you hear a slight snap.
   
   
2. Talk to your neighbors and ask if they are having similar problems. Problems with the network as a whole will typically affect all or most users within an area.
   
   
3. Make sure your cable is the correct type and is not defective.
   
   
   • IUPUI: In Ball Residence Hall and the Campus Apartments on the Riverwalk, you may use a commercial Ethernet cable.
     
     
   • Indiana University Bloomington: In Briscoe, Union Street Center, and the Tulip Tree apartments, you will need to provide your own standard cat6 Ethernet straight-through patch cord. In all other non-Greek campus housing, you will find an Ethernet crossover cable attached to the wall data jack.

     IUB Greek housing residents may purchase an IU proprietary Ethernet cable; see At IUB, where can I purchase an Ethernet cable?

   If the cable is not working, test it on another network-connected computer. If, after switching cables, the other computer still connects to the network, the problem is not the cable. If the other computer is no longer able to access the network, then the cable is defective.

4. Check your Ethernet settings:
   
   
   1. From the Apple menu, select System Preferences, then Network, then Ethernet, and then Advanced.
   2. Select the Ethernet tab.
   3. Select Manually from the pull-down menu, and then make sure your settings are configured as follows:
      
      
      • Speed: 10baseT/UTP
      • Duplex: Half-duplex
      • MTU: Standard (1500)
   
   
5. Check that you have correctly configured your computer's network settings. See At IUB or IUPUI, in Mac OS X, how can I manually configure my computer to connect to the network?
   
   
6. Make sure you have registered your computer; see At IUB, IUPUI, and IUN, how do I register my computer or other networked device?
   
   
7. If you are in a double or triple occupancy room, you should have more than one data jack; try another jack. If the computer can access the network on a different jack, then the previous data jack is the likely source of the problem. Contact the Support Center to report the problem with the data jack.
   
   
8. If you are using a software firewall, turn it off and see if you are able to access the network. Consult your documentation for instructions on how to use your firewall. If you are using the firewall built into Mac OS X, see In Mac OS X, how do I enable or disable the firewall? If this does not solve the problem, make sure that you re-enable the firewall. If you are able to connect with the firewall disabled, contact the UITS Support Center. You should always keep the firewall on your computer enabled.
   
   
9. Make sure your Ethernet port is active and given highest priority for connecting to the network. From the Apple menu, select System Preferences... and then click Network. If Ethernet isn't at the top of the list in the Network window, click the gear icon at the bottom of the left pane, and choose Set Service Order... from the menu. Drag Ethernet to the top of the list. If Ethernet is inactive, click the gear and from the menu, select Make Service Active. Click Apply.
   
   
10. Check to see if you have a rogue DHCP server on your network. To do this, first find out if you're getting an IP address from the DHCP server; see How do I determine my computer's IP address? For more, see What is a rogue DHCP server, and how can I tell when one exists on the IU network?
    
    
11. Create a new network location and trying making a connection again; see In Mac OS X, how can I use the same computer to connect from multiple locations?
    
    
12. Reinstall your operating system software and try making a connection again. For instructions, see How do I install or upgrade Mac OS X 10.6 and earlier?

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