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college network bans use of personally owned equip.

post #1 of 12
9/14/07 at 1:00pm
Thread Starter 
the college i attend does not let anyone use the network (wireless or wired) unless they are using an institution owned piece of hardware. It is a public college. Their excuse of course, is security. Their hardware of course runs windows. Basically, i'm looking for suggestions as to what i can do about this. It makes me feel like i've taken my own book into the library and they won't let me read it. Any takers?
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post #2 of 12
9/14/07 at 1:05pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tomj View Post

the college i attend does not let anyone use the network (wireless or wired) unless they are using an institution owned piece of hardware. It is a public college. Their excuse of course, is security. Their hardware of course runs windows. Basically, i'm looking for suggestions as to what i can do about this. It makes me feel like i've taken my own book into the library and they won't let me read it. Any takers?

That seems pretty unusual - so much so that it would probably stop most people from going to that college. What college is this?

Personally I would vote with my feet, but there is probably some way to trick them into thinking you have valid equipment. Do they
have a huge MAC address database of approved equipment or something?
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post #3 of 12
9/14/07 at 6:35pm
They are probably running an access appliance that queries the clients via javascript at login request time. They can be set up to be evil.

All in all though that IT department has shown itself to be inept at customer service. An administration that supports that level of close minded-ness is not a very good example of leadership at an open academic institution. If they have beaten down the faculty into accepting this the only solution is voting with your feet.
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post #4 of 12
9/14/07 at 6:50pm
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I locked horns with the campus IT here too. I have portfolios and many sites on my computer that they block. I didn't know internet was so locked down and I am setting up a VPN system and remote hosting to compensate. I don't take no for an answer very well.

As for your problem, I would raise hell. If I were forced to use windows, I would get a cheap router, clone the MAC address of the PC, and run my own damn computer and not tell any one.

Stick it to the man!

(Probably not the best advice )
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post #5 of 12
9/15/07 at 2:06pm
Pretty much all you can do is set up a petition, and raise awareness of the fact that they're making mac users shell out for new computers, which is kind of ridiculous.
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post #6 of 12
9/15/07 at 2:13pm
It would make me very angry, but the reality is that it is their networrk. I would try to raise awarness of the issue and assemble a grass roots protest. Might work. Might not.
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post #7 of 12
9/15/07 at 6:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tomj View Post

the college i attend does not let anyone use the network (wireless or wired) unless they are using an institution owned piece of hardware. It is a public college. Their excuse of course, is security. Their hardware of course runs windows. Basically, i'm looking for suggestions as to what i can do about this. It makes me feel like i've taken my own book into the library and they won't let me read it. Any takers?

First off, what college is it. You can PM me if you want. I ask because that will make it easier to find out to whom you ought to complain.

Second, while it's not unusual at paranoid universities (mine is the same way, but not as severe as yours) to be required to register a MAC address to get on the network, this is absolutely draconian and is a horrible, horrible policy. They are, as you rightly point out, asking you to buy another laptop just because they don't like yours.

And I disagree with Southside. It ain't their network if it's a public institution.

Finally, I would wager that faculty aren't too happy about this. If my Uni told me I couldn't get on the network unless I was on a PC, I would pitch a fit all the way up to the regents.

As for who you should complain to, if the head of IT won't listen, then write a letter to the VP of student affairs. If that doesn't work, then write a letter to the University President. This is the kind of decision that likely got made in IT's back room without consulting anyoneespecially the students.

Because, again, it is utterly, utterly absurd to expect students to buy a new laptop just to get on the network.
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post #8 of 12
9/15/07 at 7:10pm
I didn't get the impression that you had to buy a new computer, tom specified that he has to use an institution owned piece of equipment which runs windows.

Many people have to use a computer at work provided by their employer, it's really just not that bad.

I think there are plenty of people who would be happy if their college issued laptops to students.
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post #9 of 12
9/15/07 at 8:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by AsLan^ View Post

I didn't get the impression that you had to buy a new computer, tom specified that he has to use an institution owned piece of equipment which runs windows.

Many people have to use a computer at work provided by their employer, it's really just not that bad.

I think there are plenty of people who would be happy if their college issued laptops to students.

Good point.

Even still, that's a bit much.
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post #10 of 12
9/15/07 at 9:46pm
In that case, there's always the slightly immoral practice of backing up you data fequently so that you can intentionally load oodles of viruses onto the institution-owned equipment. I suppose this would be the guerilla solution.
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post #11 of 12
9/17/07 at 1:36pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all your responses.

The school is a small college. Minnesota State College Southeast Technical (college). It's a votech college and honestly, probaly wouldn't be a lot of kids bringing their owns machines to campus. You can lease a laptop for 500$/semester, which is absurd. I think I am going to have to start a petition about it. I know of enough people that are quite angry about this situation. Unfortunately, this college has one of (if not the) best band instrument repair programs in the world, and though i would not have come had i known about these limitations, to leave at this point would be career suicide.

I really have no problem with registering my MAC address, and would be happy to do it in exchange for the ease of using my own machine. Since I pay all my bills online, I don't really want to have to put all that data on a public machine.

Worst case scenario, I'll just print off my 150$/semester technology fee one page at a time...in color

thanks again!
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post #12 of 12
9/17/07 at 7:59pm
Well, don't you have a Wi-Fi enabled coffee shop in town?

$500 to lease a laptop for a semester. That's not just absurd. It's extortion.

Just buy a MacBook and do your online work at Starbuck's.
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