Hackers? Wireless cards? VPN?
The VCU wireless network is complicated for people to understand, but it’s used all the time. How else could students get online and frantically finish work on campus? Technology is spreading around the globe, and around VCU with the wireless network. This system lets students and faculty access a wide network including online access from different point on campus.
While the network can be accessed at several locations, there is not complete coverage on campus. Some of the available locations are in the West Grace St. Housing Building, Hibbs Building, Business Building, Engineering Building, Cabell Library and the Life Sciences Building. There are a total of nine locations on campus and each access point has 200 feet around I where you can still access the wireless system.
Rahul Khanna, former student participant of the University Information Technology Advisory Committee and currently a senior software integration engineer at Fort Lee had his own opinions of the wireless network. He said that he has “personally not experienced high stability of the wireless network in the School of Business this semester”; however, he said “you can catch the network from outside of the School of Business, but only up to so many feet”.
Even if you are within the 200 feet that does not mean you can always get into the system.
William Jones, Director of VCUnet, explained that the system can be affected by certain variables.
“Although there is some penetration of walls and floors, WiFi (wireless fidelity) is dependent upon a clear line of sight to the antenna, so construction materials, interior columns and elevator shafts have an affect on coverage area.”
A user needs a wireless card in a laptop or PDA to be able to use the system. Jones explained that the cards can tell the user how good the connection will be. If the strength is detected to be poor, then the user can just move to a higher strength signal location. Some cards are either built into a laptop or can be purchased separately.
| Before accessing the wireless system, get directions for downloading the VPN client at: http://www.at.vcu.edu/faq/connect/contivity.html |
Kevin Van, a fifth-year computer engineering student, explained the difference he found between using the Internet on his laptop at the library compared to the Engineering Building. Van said that, “It’s faster at the Engineering Building where they use G-technology.”
Kris Baxter, a senior computer science major had a very different opinion. He said that the Internet at the library and the Engineering Building “pretty much run at the same speed. When there are too many people using the system at the same time, it does get harder to get in (to the system).”
While Van has a built-in wireless card in his laptop’s hardware, Baxter purchased his separately along with his laptop from Dell.
Julian Thompson, a sophomore double majoring in political science and psychology, said, “It’s faster on the MCV Campus (Larrick, 2nd floor) then on the academic campus because of the hospital generator”.
The difference in their experiences could also be a reflection of the quality of their cards or the number of people using the system.
Security is a big concern when it comes to using a system that is connected to a large network. No one wants someone else accessing their private information and getting them into trouble, especially when the information can be taken from the network and placed into a laptop.
In order to prevent this possibility, VCU uses a Virtual Private Network server, which Jones said will “provide authentication and encryption.”
With authentication, when you type in your user ID and password, the computer verifies it in the database. It can see if such a person exists and whether the entered password is valid, then you get connected to the network. This will allow only VCU students and faculty to gain access – unauthorized users will be blocked.
Encryption allows data to be transmitted without other users seeing things like passwords, Social Security and credit card numbers. When you send an e-mail, the message can be hidden or changed to a computer language so that hackers or network administrators cannot read it. When the message is received by the person you addressed it to, it is then converted back for them to read.
The VPN software needs to be installed in the laptop or PDA to be able to access the network. Then you can access “any resource at VCU or on the Internet that you could from a student lab or other wired connection,” Jones said.
Devices also need to have a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association type wireless network card and some laptops may already have wireless hardware integrated into the system.
There are inherent benefits and flaws with the wireless network. The system is not always going to run at high speed and the more people using the system at one time, the slower the system will move. Also, the quality of the equipment being used will always influence whether the connection will be strong.