Internet and Networking

Below is an overview of various aspects of internet and networking at Carleton.

Wireless: Wireless access is available in all buildings on campus and many outdoor spaces. Carleton has moved towards a “wireless first” approach for networking in our residential spaces, acknowledging that fewer people are relying on physical connections any more. For your personal computer and phones, we recommend using our secure eduroam network. Please visit the eduroam wireless setup page for more information on how to connect. Note that eduroam is only available to devices that support a web browser (laptops, smart phones, etc.); devices without a web browser (such as gaming consoles) need to be registered on our more open CarletonGuests network.

Wired / Ethernet: Despite our “wireless first” approach, all dorm rooms on campus have Ethernet ports available, though they are not activated by default. For those students who want to use these ports, we can submit a request to have a port activated and we provide ethernet cables for free at the ITS Helpdesk. Most commonly, students will use a wired connection for stationary devices such as desktops or gaming consoles. Historically, wired connections have offered faster and more secure connections than wireless, but in recent years, there is little difference in performance between the two.

Smart Devices: A smart device is an electronic device, generally connected to other devices or networks via wireless protocols such as Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-Fi, 3G, etc. They’re also known as the infamous “Internet of Things”. An example of a smart device would be an app-connected light bulb. Smart devices are designed for home network environments, with a relatively simple setup and a single wireless router. At Carleton we have an enterprise network which is significantly more complex, and that can cause problems for some of these devices. We have noticed that smart devices with a configurable interface, such as a smart TV or a Roku, tend to function without problems on our network. Other devices, such as smart light bulbs, that you cannot directly configure, often experience problems. If you have specific questions about bringing a smart device to Carleton, please contact the ITS Helpdesk.

Cell Phones and Service Providers

Students, Faculty and Staff at Carleton use many different kinds of phones and phone service providers. Through a very informal survey we have found that carriers like AT&T, Verizon and Sprint all work well at Carleton. Some members of our community have commented that T-Mobile does not have the best service on campus, though coverage may have improved in recent years. Using WiFi to make phone calls or send messages has often worked just fine as an alternative. If you are already on a phone service plan we do not think it is necessary to switch to another plan for your time at Carleton.

Data Backups

There are two main ways to backup your personal data (documents, photos, music, etc.): with an external hard drive, or with a cloud backup service. Backing up your data is extremely important. Having an up to date backup safeguards your data in the event that your machine fails. At the Drop-Off Center, there are times that we receive machines that have failed, have no functional backup, and find ourselves having to break the news about total data loss.

External Drive: With current storage capacities, an external drive can be a full external hard drive, a high-capacity USB thumb drive, or even an SD card. You can purchase an external drive, connect it to your machine (Mac or Windows), and backup your data. Just remember to store it separate from the computer, otherwise a situation like a lost or water damaged backpack can result in losing both your original and backup data. Mac and Windows have built-in tools to help facilitate regular back-ups.

Cloud Backup Service: There are dedicated backup services such as Carbonite and Backblaze that will back up your data to their cloud servers. If your hard drive ever fails you can download whatever you had backed up.

Cloud Storage: Online cloud storage options such as Google Drive and DropBox also offer a relatively straightforward method of maintaining a copy of your files somewhere other than your machine. While not technically backup storage, their functionality is similar in many ways. Note that, if you have a lot of personal data, or work with large files (e.g. hi-def movies) that require a lot of storage space, the cost of these services may increase.

For information about backing up your data, please visit this Wirecutter article about backing up your computer.

(Anti-)Malware

Anti-malware software is important in keeping your personal machine safe and usable. We believe that the default anti-virus programs on personal machines, Windows Defender and macOS built in defenses, are sufficient at keeping your laptop clean. A helpful addition would be to download a free scanning software, such as Malwarebytes, to run a full scan of your machine every week. We believe those two things in tandem should keep your computer virus free. If you suspect your machine is infected with malware, you can drop your machine off with the DOC (Student Drop-Off Center).

DUO: Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication requires a second step to confirm your identity after signing in with your username and password. This helps to secure account if, for example, someone else gets ahold of your login information. There are many options for this second form of authentication, but the most commonly-used is in the form of a code or push notification sent to your phone. This method has gained popularity in the past few years, and is now industry standard for universities and businesses alike.

Students, staff, and faculty with active Carleton accounts are all required to use two-factor authentication on their accounts. The tool that we use for this is called DUO. To learn how to set up Duo authentication at Carleton, and for some convenient tips and tricks, please visit the Duo authentication page.

Printing

Carleton has about 200 networked printers and multi-function devices* that are shared by Carleton faculty, staff, students, and visitors. There are printers and MFDs located in all of the public labs and also in the Goodhue residence hall. For a long list of articles related to printing, please see the Knowledge Base Printing page.

*Multi-function devices, or MFDs, can print, copy, and scan.

Student Printing

In order to better manage our printer waste, students are assigned a print quota at the start of each academic year. For more information on how this works, please refer to the Print Quota page.

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