My school doesn't allow wireless in the dorms

[fishniw]

I just bought a new macbook and was planning on using a router in my room. Then I heard that my university does not allow wireless in the dorms. I need help thinking of an argument that will be able to convince them to change their policy because from what I have heard it is impossible to hide a router. Some things I can think of off the top of my head is that wireless is available everywhere else on campus except for residence halls and for computers like the macbook air, they don't have ethernet ports.

When asked this is why they said they did not allow wireless...

Wireless ISUNET is not available for use in the residence hall rooms. According to the University's Wireless Radio Frequency Airspace Policy, students may not install a personal wireless access point within the residence halls.

Policy aside, there are many reasons for disallowing wireless access in the residence halls. Using a wired connection, such as ResNet, allows each person a dedicated connection rather than sharing a wireless signal with floormates. This increases transfer speeds and decreases connectivity issues and interruptions.

The University's official policy is this...

The University provides wireless ISUnet service in many areas of the University to promote the convenience of mobile network connectivity. This service allows users to access campus-computing facilities from mobile or portable computers and selected personal digital devices where coverage is available. To provide this wireless service, the radio frequency airspace of the University serves as the transport medium for this technology. In order to protect this service, faculty, staff and students are requested not to use wireless devices that operate in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency range while on campus unless these devices have been approved by Telecommunications and Networking.

[banser]

ill be going to mizzou next year and they have the same policy, which really sucks since i wanted to be wireless in my room with 802.11n. if you think of a good argument let me know haha.

[Gen]

there are many reasons for disallowing wireless access in the residence halls.

Ask them to give you one good reason.

Anyways, I recommend you start a petition and have all of the students, and as many faculties as possible, sign it.

[Kane.Elson]

It's a security thing. People are really dumb and most wouldn't secure their wireless... your college just don't want to be responsible for people hijacking your connection....
They also talk a lot about spectrums which is really just a way of saying they don't want interference for their official networks...which could be true if every dorm room decides to set up wireless.. it would have terrible interference and drop outs etc...
That's my guess anyway ;)

[tdgrn]

If you have a MacBook Air, why don't you get a USB to Ethernet adapter? I know this isn't the reason why you posted this, but usually the tech department isn't the reason why something gets done at a University (tech wise) Don't forget that not only your tuition, but a lot of state dollars are dropped into Universities, and that might have some part of these type of stupid decisions.

I am just speculating, and this does sound odd that they don't allow you to have your own, as this would be the same as an ethernet connection, but for only you...

Airport Express would be able to be easily hidden, as it looks almost exactly like an Apple power brick for your laptop...

[fishniw]

Airport Express would be able to be easily hidden, as it looks almost exactly like an Apple power brick for your laptop...

tell me more about this airport express? Because I know certain routers such as Linksys have certain serial numbers that can be recognized when plugged into the the ethernet port

Ask them to give you one good reason.

Anyways, I recommend you start a petition and have all of the students, and as many faculties as possible, sign it.

I have thought about this and I would be willing if nothing else works.

It's a security thing. People are really dumb and most wouldn't secure their wireless... your college just don't want to be responsible for people hijacking your connection....
They also talk a lot about spectrums which is really just a way of saying they don't want interference for their official networks...which could be true if every dorm room decides to set up wireless.. it would have terrible interference and drop outs etc...
That's my guess anyway ;)

But don't other schools have wireless with relatively no problems?

[tdgrn]

An Airport Express is made to be a portable WAP (wireless access point).
You can connect 10 different wireless devices with it, so it is not a true wireless router as those allow many more wireless clients. Like I said it looks like a Apple Notebook Power brick, so it can be easily slipped into a bag while traveling or when room inspections occur. I am not sure if they will be able to detect a WAP (University), other than somebody telling on you. I have never heard of this practice before, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Make sure to turn off the wireless broadcast, so that other people can not tell that you have one. They are $99, and its Wireless N, with a USB port for a printer or HD for Time Machine.

[me2000]

ISU does not allow wireless in the dorms.. yet.

And there's nothing you can do to try and "hide" a router. They sweep the dorms once a week and look for wireless routers.. your Internet connection will be deactivated.

You're SOL.

Internet in the dorms is currently a subscription service and the Ethernet connection is VERY fast and more reliable. I'd rather have the Ethernet and get my 80 Mbps speed!

[Patrickool93]

Why not just get a router, and not broadcast the SSID? Are they actually coming into dorms and physically searching for wireless routers?

[tdgrn]

Internet in the dorms is currently a subscription service and the Ethernet connection is VERY fast and more reliable. I'd rather have the Ethernet and get my 80 Mbps speed!

FYI, the 80 mb connection is just your LAN connection, not your ISP speed. Two very different numbers. If you connect via wireless N, it has a LAN of up to 270, but your internet would perform almost identical unless you were sending information through the network (not internet) to another computer, it which the wireless would be much faster than the wire. (in this example)

[me2000]

No. They run a sweep program. They'll find the router if it's there...

[likemyorbs]

there's only one solution then... miniature, very low range wireless routers that wont go through walls

[fishniw]

there's only one solution then... miniature, very low range wireless routers that wont go through walls

do they make those? that seems like it would be nearly impossible to limit the broadcast range to such a small room

ISU does not allow wireless in the dorms.. yet.

And there's nothing you can do to try and "hide" a router. They sweep the dorms once a week and look for wireless routers.. your Internet connection will be deactivated.

You're SOL.

Internet in the dorms is currently a subscription service and the Ethernet connection is VERY fast and more reliable. I'd rather have the Ethernet and get my 80 Mbps speed!

Are you by any chance part of the team that is looking for routers? lol. It would be nice to know what day of the week they scan so I could just unplug it for that day.

[me2000]

Are you by any chance part of the team that is looking for routers? lol. It would be nice to know what day of the week they scan so I could just unplug it for that day.


No. I wish I was.. I'd help ya out for sure. I just know that they DO catch quite a few people with routers and they get a warning.

Just to clarify, which ISU do you attend?

[fishniw]

Just to clarify, which ISU do you attend?

Illinois State

[me2000]

Illinois State

Then yes. I go to ISU too..

[acfusion29]

just get a damn router, but don't broadcast the signal..
do you know what that means? basically no one will be able to see your network, no matter what... so you will be fine. Just hide it somewhere.

[Greystorm]

You can easily see networks that aren't broadcast. I'm sure their network people would have the tools to show them any unauthorised wireless.

Get yourself an ethernet adaptor and plug in with a nice UTP patch lead.

[me2000]

YMMV..

You do get a warning on the first violation.. so you can definitely try. After that, don't even TRY because they WILL deactivate your Internet for the rest of the year and I think there might be a fine.

Just know that plugging in the ethernet cord to the router and not doing anything else will get you caught during the next random sweep without an ounce of a doubt.

And just a heads up... the future plans are wireless in the dorms.. trust me, they're not doing this to give anyone a hard time. It's just that ResNet is a subscription service.. if they allowed wireless than that means people wouldn't pay for the service. And without the semester fees, Internet in the dorms wouldn't be possible.

I prefer the Ethernet connection anyways.. you can't get the speeds and reliability of Ethernet over wireless.

[Chaos123x]

Do they charge for their internet connection?

If yes, thats your answer.

[seattle]

Are routers allowed but not wireless ones?

[me2000]

Do they charge for their internet connection?

If yes, thats your answer.


Exactly right.

It's $73 per semester for Internet that usually gets 80 Mbps.. not a bad deal at all.

fishniw, P2P/Bittorrent is blocked in the dorms unless you put yourself on the whitelist, btw. http://www.helpdesk.ilstu.edu/requests/#resnet Just a heads up.

[milani]

Dorm inspections? Sounds like prison. Better hide that sharpened toothbrush end... but where? :eek: Seriously though, I would just forgo the rules and use the Airport express anyway. So long as they can't explicitly track the thing back to you (what would they do anyway? Kick you out of the dorm?). Here's a question though, how on earth does your school not have wireless internet already? My University is 100% wireless, and you can access it via student account or via guest account. It's beautiful.

[me2000]

Dorm inspections? Sounds like prison. Better hide that sharpened toothbrush end... but where? :eek: Seriously though, I would just forgo the rules and use the Airport express anyway. So long as they can't explicitly track the thing back to you (what would they do anyway? Kick you out of the dorm?). Here's a question though, how on earth does your school not have wireless internet already? My University is 100% wireless, and you can access it via student account or via guest account. It's beautiful.

I guess you haven't read the thread.

They don't physically inspect your dorm.. They run a detection scan through the network... it WILL find any type of wireless device.

They'll disconnect the Internet in the OP's room... then what will they do? Sound advice there... :rolleyes:

And btw, the campus is wireless everywhere but the dorms. I'd rather have a dedicated, secure connection through the network in my room than have a potentially unsecure, slow connection through wireless. Can you get 80 Mbps on your wireless?

[drinkslurpee]

Same thing happened in my dorm, kids we're running a ton of wireless networks anyways. You can always just not broadcast the ssid.

[milani]

I guess you haven't read the thread.

They don't physically inspect your dorm.. They run a detection scan through the network... it WILL find any type of wireless device.

They'll disconnect the Internet in the OP's room... then what will they do? Sound advice there... :rolleyes:

And btw, the campus is wireless everywhere but the dorms. I'd rather have a dedicated, secure connection through the network in my room than have a potentially unsecure, slow connection through wireless. Can you get 80 Mbps on your wireless?

Someone's in a pissy mood. I quickly read it over and someone said dorm searches. Sorry I didn't bother to read more closely. Here's my revised advice: if you're dorm is so idiotic as to charge a separate subscription fee on top of the fee you already pay as a student to have internet access in the rest of the school, then you should go to a different university.

My university gives each room a VOIP phone (connected to a secure server), which they can use to plug in devices including routers or other APs. Alternately, you can connect to the wireless network that runs throughout the school. I can't quote the Mbps, but I'll let you know what it is when I get my MacBook later this month. It's lightning fast for my iPhone, and they don't cap bandwidth either. Maybe my school is just amazing - alternately, maybe the school the OP goes to just sucks. You're call. I don't really care.

Edit: and they don't block ports or Bittorrent either.

[Detektiv-Pinky]

Why not just get a router, and not broadcast the SSID? Are they actually coming into dorms and physically searching for wireless routers?

This does not work.
Any decent WIFI finding equipment will pick up the transmitted data, regardless if you have 'pseudo'-secured it by hiding your SSID...

You can power down the wireless on some of access points (mine goes as low as 6%), however you also have to do it on your computer and it might still be detectable from the outside of your room with dedicated gear (e.g. high-gain directional antennas).

An alternative could be a Bluetooth-Access Router, if you can live with the low data rate of Bluetooth: http://www.usbgear.com/USBG-BLUE-RR.html

[Davidkoh]

aint that hard to setup networks they wont notice. One way would be to take än old comp and set a AD-hoc network. Just test the range, shouldnt be far.

[illegallydead]

CU is the same way. The campus is wireless, and the dorms were mostly wireless (except where I lived).

ABSOLUTELY DO NOT put in your own router. As many have said, you WILL GET BUSTED. The dorms are like prison; one way or another, you just have to live with it until you get out.

To all those who reply without reading: Knowing the SSID would get them no father than if you didn't broadcast it. They do know, however, exactly what hardwired connection that signal is coming from, and will simply de-activate the connection there.

Hopefully your school IT guys aren't nazi's and block bit-torrent, but don't count on them to let you... They will usually let you use it until you start hogging lots of bandwidth.

So.... Just live with the USB adapter (not meaning to hate, but that is what you get for getting an Air :D. Honestly, I shed the difference in weight between the air and my MB when I take a piss :)...) Moving along, just get the USB. And petition to get wireless ASAP. But they will never let everyone have their own, because the interference would be ghastly, not to mention they would miss out on that $80 fee :rolleyes:

[illegallydead]

aint that hard to setup networks they wont notice. One way would be to take än old comp and set a AD-hoc network. Just test the range, shouldnt be far.

I forget if that worked from last year... but, you may be on to something. Still, wouldn't test the system. They win, period (VERY unfortunately, especially when you are FORCED to live there)

[Chaos123x]

The other thing you might want to do is get a empty paper towel roll and put a few dryer sheets in it, if you blow pot smoke through it everything will smell like Downey Freshness.

Other than that stock up on Ramen noodles and enjoy dorm life.

[Davidkoh]

I forget if that worked from last year... but, you may be on to something. Still, wouldn't test the system. They win, period (VERY unfortunately, especially when you are FORCED to live there)

I don't let people win! :p You could prolly block them from scanning with stuff like tin foil on the wall. Ad-hoc + foil should work. If you care about getting deactivated, don't try it. I got an iPhone so I can always tether :p

[sfroom]

I find it absolutely absurd that they would do wireless broadcast sweeps of the dorms. If they do, get involved with student politics and demand that your tuition be used for ANYTHING other than employing somebody to walk through dorms looking for illicit WiFi!

I expect that this ISN'T how they detect illicit wifi in any event...they probably scan the network for unusual IP addresses (although I'm no networking expert).

However, when I was in residence at university, every double room had a linksys ethernet switch or wired router to split the connection to two desks.

While not completely undetectable, my best advice would be to find out what kind of switch your dorms use, buy a cheap router from the same brand, give it the same IP address as the switch it's replacing, and disable SSID broadcast.

If they still catch you and give you hell, claim ignorance and discontinue use of the router.

This really sounds like an antiquated policy though.

[DeuxIt]

get a crappy old laptop and build a computer to computer network. they won't see anything illicit. there will only be a junky laptop sitting on the desk.

[fishniw]

The other thing you might want to do is get a empty paper towel roll and put a few dryer sheets in it, if you blow pot smoke through it everything will smell like Downey Freshness.

Other than that stock up on Ramen noodles and enjoy dorm life.

ha, thanks for the advice

I don't let people win! :p You could prolly block them from scanning with stuff like tin foil on the wall. Ad-hoc + foil should work. If you care about getting deactivated, don't try it. I got an iPhone so I can always tether :p

how do you go about setting up a Ad-hoc network? This is the first I've ever heard of such a thing


I expect that this ISN'T how they detect illicit wifi in any event...they probably scan the network for unusual IP addresses (although I'm no networking expert).



Yeah, I think you're right. Although they might do both but from what I understand routers have distinct IP's.

[cristo]

If they still catch you and give you hell, claim ignorance and discontinue use of the router.

When you rent a property, you agree to abide by the rules of the letting agent which, in this case, is the university. Whether you claim ignorance or not, you are deemed to have read and agreed to the rules when you sign a contract, or when you move into the property. Breaking the rules can, legally, result in eviction, whether you claim you have read them or not.

Of course, the solution would have been to read the rules before moving into the property!

[kobefan234]

create a closed network

but its a pain to enter the network name and password every time if you have one

[chrmjenkins]

If they check using antennas, you could line your room with tin foil to block the signals, and if they ask, tell them you're afraid of the aliens listening to your mind. That is, unless they can kick you out for being crazy. However, if they are checking the physical connection, I don't know if there is a way to hide the router :D

[fishniw]

If they check using antennas, you could line your room with tin foil to block the signals, and if they ask, tell them you're afraid of the aliens listening to your mind. That is, unless they can kick you out for being crazy. However, if they are checking the physical connection, I don't know if there is a way to hide the router :D

So tin foil will do the trick huh? I'm willing to give it a shot. But of course that won't matter if they're detecting the router based on its IP

[decksnap]

The other thing you might want to do is get a empty paper towel roll and put a few dryer sheets in it, if you blow pot smoke through it everything will smell like Downey Freshness.

Other than that stock up on Ramen noodles and enjoy dorm life.

memories....

also, opening your window doesn't make it smell less, it creates a vacuum that sucks the smell out into the hallway. Just so you know.

[duffyanneal]

I would at least try a router until caught. You can place the router nearest the outside wall (if you have one) and crank down the power to the lowest setting. You might even cover it with a aluminum lined box to cut down on the effective range. Adjusted right you can have a wireless network that doesn't extend beyond your room.

[cerhard]

IMO just plug your MB in and spend your free time hanging out with friends and having fun. Do you really need another reason to stay in your room and not socialize? Before you know it you will not be in the dorms anymore. So enjoy it while you can and meet as many people as you can because once your out you will never have an experience like it again.

Or you could move out of the dorms and do whatever you want.

[fishniw]

I would at least try a router until caught. You can place the router nearest the outside wall (if you have one) and crank down the power to the lowest setting. You might even cover it with a aluminum lined box to cut down on the effective range. Adjusted right you can have a wireless network that doesn't extend beyond your room.

That's what I think I am going to do. You only get a warning the first time so it's worth a shot. This (http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1149562300349&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper&lid=0034939789B09) is the type of router i was thinking about using.



Or you could move out of the dorms and do whatever you want.

You can't live off campus till junior year at my school but thats not a huge deal.

[Animalk]

Same thing happened in my dorm, kids we're running a ton of wireless networks anyways. You can always just not broadcast the ssid.

Exactly. Do a quick setup of your network with your wireless devices, make sure that they remember their networks and then go into the wireless router's setup and turn off SSID broadcasting. This will prevent your wireless network from showing up on anyone else's computer when they are looking for wireless networks.

You just need to find a clever way of hiding your wireless router really.

[duffyanneal]

Exactly. Do a quick setup of your network with your wireless devices, make sure that they remember their networks and then go into the wireless router's setup and turn off SSID broadcasting. This will prevent your wireless network from showing up on anyone else's computer when they are looking for wireless networks.

You just need to find a clever way of hiding your wireless router really.

The problem as others have mentioned is that even though the SSID is not broadcast you can still see the network. The only way to hide it is to reduce it's transmission power so it doesn't extend very far.

[fishniw]

The problem as others have mentioned is that even though the SSID is not broadcast you can still see the network. The only way to hide it is to reduce it's transmission power so it doesn't extend very far.

Yeah even though it probably won't help, I'll probably still turn off the SSID.

[cpjrmd]

ill be going to mizzou next year and they have the same policy, which really sucks since i wanted to be wireless in my room with 802.11n. if you think of a good argument let me know haha.

I'm at Mizzou now. When you log into ROAR in the spring to pick your room, get one as close as possible to a lounge or study, both of which will have the University's wireless network accessible. I'm not now but I still manage to get wireless from a network someone created themselves (I guess they haven't gotten caught yet...).

[fishniw]

Does anyone know a way to change the IP address of a router? More specifically a Linksys.

[mcruzader]

All you need to do is not broadcast the SSID but do name it as another dorm number :D just in case and then hide the router behind the desk or some books.

[fishniw]

All you need to do is not broadcast the SSID but do name it as another dorm number :D just in case and then hide the router behind the desk or some books.

I don't think you're referring to changing the IP address but rather the broadcasted name

[mcruzader]

I don't think you're referring to changing the IP address but rather the broadcasted name

SSID is Broadcast name. :p

[fishniw]

SSID is Broadcast name. :p

but just by changing the name will not take the linksys number prefix from being detected right?

[fishniw]

How do you turn down the broadcast range?

[big duck]

mine's the same.
firstly, they don't check.
secondly, f everyone has the internet, it's not as if it allows people to freeload who haven't paid.

However, you can buy an usb ethernet port for the macbook air.

[Minimoose 360]

At my college we are offered free wireless access throughout the whole campus...including our residence halls and outdoors. Each room has it's own router and access point. We are not allowed to have wired connections (to my dismay) which rules out usuing your own router. It uses the 802.11a protocol which is ok.

Of course, ours is offered free :]

[paolo-]

You could use a really cheap PC laptop (only need a wireless card), connect it to your wall connection and have it redistribute the internet by wifi. I don't think it would come up as a router.

CNET had an article on how to do it but I can't find it, a stock computer is able to do it, mind you, no need for special software or laborious set-ups.

[island]

get a crappy old laptop and build a computer to computer network. they won't see anything illicit. there will only be a junky laptop sitting on the desk.

Thanks for saving me from typing it! THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO!!!!!!

[Detektiv-Pinky]

How do you turn down the broadcast range?

If you have one of these Linksys routers that support the OpenWRT-Firmware, you could flash it with this to give you access to all kinds of advanced settings:

http://wiki.openwrt.org/Faq

You could change the first 3 code-blocks of the MAC-address to mimic a popular PC-Vendor, so you Router will not stand out as a Router when they scan the MAC addresses of their fixed network:
http://standards.ieee.org/regauth/oui/oui.txt

OpenWRT lets you also adjust WLAN transmit power on the Router. However this does not change transmit power from your notebook, so even if your Router does not register at a wireless network scan - the wireless emission from your notebook might...

Another good idea is probably to fire up the firewall on the Router, so that no services are visible from the outside net (such as a Web-Config Service).

[Roba]

Why don't you just use mobile broadband (WWAN)? You could either go on a contract or do PAYG. You could plug a modem with a sim into your laptop to access the internet. Mobile broadband is not that expensive anymore to use and the speeds are pretty decent now. I use mobile broadband when i am on the go and at college. I couldn't recommend any networks to you to try as i don't live in the US.

[fishniw]

You could use a really cheap PC laptop (only need a wireless card), connect it to your wall connection and have it redistribute the internet by wifi. I don't think it would come up as a router.

CNET had an article on how to do it but I can't find it, a stock computer is able to do it, mind you, no need for special software or laborious set-ups.

Thanks for saving me from typing it! THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO!!!!!!

I was going to say this wasn't an option because I don't really want to buy another laptop just for this but I probably could set it up on my roommate's computer as its always "wired" in.

If you have one of these Linksys routers that support the OpenWRT-Firmware, you could flash it with this to give you access to all kinds of advanced settings:

http://wiki.openwrt.org/Faq

You could change the first 3 code-blocks of the MAC-address to mimic a popular PC-Vendor, so you Router will not stand out as a Router when they scan the MAC addresses of their fixed network:
http://standards.ieee.org/regauth/oui/oui.txt

OpenWRT lets you also adjust WLAN transmit power on the Router. However this does not change transmit power from your notebook, so even if your Router does not register at a wireless network scan - the wireless emission from your notebook might...

Another good idea is probably to fire up the firewall on the Router, so that no services are visible from the outside net (such as a Web-Config Service).

Thanks a lot for the info. Two questions though...

1. Where do you go to turn on the firewall on the router?
2. Would it be easier to buy an airport express instead of using linksys?

[Detektiv-Pinky]

Thanks a lot for the info. Two questions though...

1. Where do you go to turn on the firewall on the router?
2. Would it be easier to buy an airport express instead of using linksys?

The OpenWRT Firmware enables features on the router that might not normally be there or accessible. It really is a specially build Linux Operating System that you run on the router and this gives you the flexibility to customise it and run additional stuff that would otherwise not be possible.

If you look at the OpenWRT wiki there is information about how to enable the firewall. Be prepared to deal with some command line *nix commands (just practice this skill on the Apple Terminal ;)). Also look up the supported Linksys-hardware, not all routers are supported.

I have no experience with Airports. They are almost certainly easier to use (as I said, OpenWRT is really an OS in itself), but I highly doubt that you could implement anything similar. You are stuck with the features Apple makes available through their configuration options (changing the MAC address is usually not a customer-level operation).

[areusche]

Geeze you guys aren't helping at all.

First and foremost my college (Ithaca College) outsourced their residence hall networks to a goonish company called Apogee Internet.

They threaten disconnection if you use a wireless router or a router for that matter. There are no wireless networks in the dorms.

What I have done on the router side since I have a WRT160N is enable the NAT, Firewall, and filter NAT redirection requests. The "scan" they are doing is seeing if there are multiple requests coming outside of you wall outlet. It's a simple network command.

Once you do that disable the SSID broadcast AND enable WPA2 encryption. Make your network name "cheesewhiz" or something random and a strong password WPA2 password.

Sort of them busting into your room (which they have to inform you of ahead of time) they should not be able to catch you.

You can also get a switch and a wireless access point. That will also work very well.

If they disable my internet I'll just use Verizon's EVDo network over my cell phone. But then again I work for their IT department :-S

[jav6454]

Geeze you guys aren't helping at all.

First and foremost my college (Ithaca College) outsourced their residence hall networks to a goonish company called Apogee Internet.

They threaten disconnection if you use a wireless router or a router for that matter. There are no wireless networks in the dorms.

What I have done on the router side since I have a WRT160N is enable the NAT, Firewall, and filter NAT redirection requests. The "scan" they are doing is seeing if there are multiple requests coming outside of you wall outlet. It's a simple network command.

Once you do that disable the SSID broadcast AND enable WPA2 encryption. Make your network name "cheesewhiz" or something random and a strong password WPA2 password.

Sort of them busting into your room (which they have to inform you of ahead of time) they should not be able to catch you.

You can also get a switch and a wireless access point. That will also work very well.

If they disable my internet I'll just use Verizon's EVDo network over my cell phone. But then again I work for their IT department :-S

Why is it that some colleges don't care for their student's Internet access in the dorms? Here in UNO, the university allows wireless routers, in fact they encourage it (as it off loads their own campus wide Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi is not available in the dorms, only ethernet plugs).

When it gets slow (like a weekend) I usually plug in my AT&T 3G USB modem or tether suing my iPhone (which I don't do much).

[fishniw]

Geeze you guys aren't helping at all.

First and foremost my college (Ithaca College) outsourced their residence hall networks to a goonish company called Apogee Internet.

They threaten disconnection if you use a wireless router or a router for that matter. There are no wireless networks in the dorms.

What I have done on the router side since I have a WRT160N is enable the NAT, Firewall, and filter NAT redirection requests. The "scan" they are doing is seeing if there are multiple requests coming outside of you wall outlet. It's a simple network command.

Once you do that disable the SSID broadcast AND enable WPA2 encryption. Make your network name "cheesewhiz" or something random and a strong password WPA2 password.

Sort of them busting into your room (which they have to inform you of ahead of time) they should not be able to catch you.

You can also get a switch and a wireless access point. That will also work very well.

If they disable my internet I'll just use Verizon's EVDo network over my cell phone. But then again I work for their IT department :-S

Thanks for the info. I know how to disable ssid and enable wpa2 but I do not know how to turn on NAT and filter NAT redirection requests.

[dukebound85]

Ask them to give you one good reason.

Anyways, I recommend you start a petition and have all of the students, and as many faculties as possible, sign it.

a good reason is that its THEIR network and they can distribute it how they see fit.

also lets them have control as each person has to pay for an internet connection when they live in the dorms. if there was wireless, it would be much harder to enforce that policy

[shawnpringle]

As for hiding it, simply find an old speaker. Open it up, and place your router inside of there. Drill some holes out of the back, and there you go. Just make sure to hid the wires (make them appear to connect to your stereo.
Speakers are great for hiding stuff!

[fishniw]

In case anyone was wondering if it worked...

-Enabled NAT filtering
- Disable SSID
- WPA2 encrypted
- Decreased broadcast range

Been 2 months and I haven't got caught yet. When my roommate tried installing a router earlier this year with none of the protection he was found out within a week so we must be doing something right. Thanks for all who helped, it is very nice.

[GfulDedFan]

Why don't you just use mobile broadband (WWAN)? You could either go on a contract or do PAYG. You could plug a modem with a sim into your laptop to access the internet. Mobile broadband is not that expensive anymore to use and the speeds are pretty decent now. I use mobile broadband when i am on the go and at college. I couldn't recommend any networks to you to try as i don't live in the US.

This was the solution that I had in mind. Wouldn't this be allowed. It would be like having your own internet and not using the schools... no infringement on their precious internet. It's the same as not buying a meal ticket and buying your own food.

I have a USB Verizon device and a portable router that I take everywhere so I'm not dependent on others. You could even sell your internet connection for cheaper than the university and put them out of business.

[alphaod]

The main reason schools don't allow wireless routers of your own is network security; there is no way they can monitor and manage your wireless routers; if your connection is compromised, it's difficult to diagnose.

Also your signal may interfere with the school's network.

Legally, if the schools says you can't have your own router and you use one anyways, it's illegal, but I don't think they prosecute students for that.

Anyways, if you plan to run a router anyways, make sure you enable bridging and makes the router harder to detect.

Why don't you just use mobile broadband (WWAN)? You could either go on a contract or do PAYG. You could plug a modem with a sim into your laptop to access the internet. Mobile broadband is not that expensive anymore to use and the speeds are pretty decent now. I use mobile broadband when i am on the go and at college. I couldn't recommend any networks to you to try as i don't live in the US.

Why pay for Internet is when it's already provided. Frankly college isn't cheap and WWAN isn't either.

[Tallest Skil]

You could even sell your internet connection for cheaper than the university and put them out of business.

Single Student Shuts Down Entire University With WWAN...

Somehow I believe that that idea is completely impossible. By the time you were to get enough people on your little network to make a difference, it would be too slow to be usable. You also have a data cap on a setup like that, so you really wouldn't get anywhere.

[GfulDedFan]

Single Student Shuts Down Entire University With WWAN...

Somehow I believe that that idea is completely impossible. By the time you were to get enough people on your little network to make a difference, it would be too slow to be usable. You also have a data cap on a setup like that, so you really wouldn't get anywhere.

j/k on putting the school out but it works great for Starbucks and dorm rooms. Also works well when nothing else is available.

[gamer2502]

well you have 2 options relay you could either get a usb cellular from verizon, cricket,sprint,etc. or you could put a wireless router under something and in the settings you could change your network to undiscoverable so no one except you knows it is there and you need to connect to it :apple:

[gotzaiPhone]

wow, I can't believe how bad ISU has gotten. I had an ex that went there and ResNet was only like 40 bucks a year.... oh God, 6 years ago. I'm getting old... What about ANY router? Meaning an older non-wireless router? If that type of router is ok, could you first connect that and then your wireless from there???

[mandingo]

http://emsectechnologies.com/press_releases/press1.php

Wi-Fi Blocking paint. Trap the signal INSIDE the room. It's like a painted Faraday cage.

[proc]

http://emsectechnologies.com/press_releases/press1.php

Wi-Fi Blocking paint. Trap the signal INSIDE the room. It's like a painted Faraday cage.

If you know how a Faraday cage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage) works, you will probably agree that it basically involves setting up a metallic shielding. Paint which blocks WiFi would most likely involve paint with (heavy) metal compounds. Any material, how small the quantity may be, dissolves over time. Metal damp (even though in small quantities) isn't a good idea (http://www.answers.com/topic/heavy-metal-poisoning) to breath in. This (http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-156.shtml) used to be a common cause for diseases in houses built in the US before 1978.

[Airforcekid]

:apple:They cant allow wireless because if one person has it everyone will and 1 out of at least 10 will know how to keep it secure. If you truly need wireless get a broadband card from Alltel unlimited Data and good speed.:apple:

[bplein]

Mac Mini hard wired to Ethernet, running Bluetooth Internet Sharing.

;)

Bet they aren't scanning for Bluetooth networks. Slow, but it would do for surfing! I believe a few dedicated Bluetooth routers exist as well, but I cannot vouch for them.

[Kevster89]

I go to the University of South Carolina and this is the case at my school as well.

Wirless is available EVERYWHERE on campus (literally), except for the individual residence halls. It sucks because I wish I could set up a router in my dorm. I hate having to use a wired, yet sometimes faster, connection in my dorm. For instance, I can't just lay in my bed or sit on my futon and use the internet. My ethernet cable doesn't reach far enough. It sucks!

Don't be bummed though... you get used to it. And, like at my school and many other universities, I'm sure wireless is available almost everywhere else on campus.

[xparaparafreakx]

I was able to put one up after asking.


From: ******@ucdavis.edu
Subject: Re: Recommended Minimum Laptop Computer Configurations for 2006-2007
Date: May 31, 2006 9:22:47 AM PDT
To: ******

Thatt should be fine, but I must stress that you will be responsible for
any issues that may arise.

-*******
IT Express



On Tue, 30 May 2006, ****** wrote:

So if I lock it down, WEP password, ethernet bridge and shut it off
when I don't use it (during class time) I should be okay?

-****

On May 30, 2006, at 11:39 AM, IT Help wrote:

Hello,

The Recommended Minimum Computer Configurations are just
recommendations,
any current computer system should be fine for most users. A laptop
hard
drive running at 5400 or even 4200 would be sufficient unless you know
otherwise. Whether you use Boot Camp or not is up to you, we
support both
Windows XP and OS X operating systems.

We do not support personal wireless networks in the dorms, and you
would
be accountable for any traffic that occurs on your wireless
connection.
And you definitely do not want to configure a DHCP server as that will
disrupt the network. A properly configured and secured wireless
access point would probably be fine, but we do not provide any
support for
this.

Sincerely,
-*****
IT Express



On Sun, 28 May 2006, Nhat Zhang wrote:

To Whom This May Concern,
On the site it saids on the laptop, 7200 RPM. Is that high of
an RPM needed? Also do you recommend students use Boot Camp on the
Intel Mac? Can students have wireless base station on the dorms if
they config them as "ethernet bridges" and not DHCP mini servers?

-****

[brop52]

If your ethernet doesn't reach far enough what prevents you from using an ethernet hub or router without wireless?

[Puzz]

My ethernet cable doesn't reach far enough.

That seems kinda... easy to solve, no?

[greenmeanie]

Any Network ADMIN worth his/her money will see a new MAC address on the server right when you use that Router.
No need to "Sweep" the rooms.

[Bengt77]

You can set up an AirPort Express (AX) to run in a kind of 'stealth' mode, so that only people who know the name of the network will be able to connect, as the network name will not show up in any 'available networks' lists. Also, you can set up the AX to broadcast at only 10% of it's full signal strength. These two tricks might be enough to hide it's signal. You won't be able to hide the AX itself, though.

EDIT: Sorry, hadn't read the whole thread yet. Didn't get to the part where you state you have it working already. Good for you! Always a good thing to fool the authorities! :)

[fishniw]

You can set up an AirPort Express (AX) to run in a kind of 'stealth' mode, so that only people who know the name of the network will be able to connect, as the network name will not show up in any 'available networks' lists. Also, you can set up the AX to broadcast at only 10% of it's full signal strength. These two tricks might be enough to hide it's signal. You won't be able to hide the AX itself, though.

EDIT: Sorry, hadn't read the whole thread yet. Didn't get to the part where you state you have it working already. Good for you! Always a good thing to fool the authorities! :)

ha, yeah there is a sense of enjoyment in that. Everyone on my floor is envious, but I let them use my connection sometimes. yeah i know my setup isn't perfect and if they have detected it they must not care seeing as I have it encrypted and hidden.

[kastenbrust]

By the way you can still download torrents even if theyre blocked on your network, and without signing up to any Uni white lists, just use Azureus (now Vuze) to do your downloading, and enable RC4 Transport Encryption in the settings, (its really simple to do), and they wont know a thing, although if you happen to have 30GB worth of data packets going to your ip adress in one day they may get a bit suspious :p also enabling the RC4 Transport Encryption is useful even if your a home bit torrent downloader because it means your ISP doesnt know your downloading torrents and wont throttle your connection which happens a lot in the US and the UK.

:)

[Fonzijr1964]

get a 25 foot ethernet cable

[hhlee]

don't listen to these folks who are encouraging you to get a wireless router and run it anyway.

they will run a sweep program and deactivate you. if you really want or need to run wireless in your room, you could try using a dedicated computer to run an adhoc/internet sharing subnetwork instead.

[bplein]

don't listen to these folks who are encouraging you to get a wireless router and run it anyway.

they will run a sweep program and deactivate you. if you really want or need to run wireless in your room, you could try using a dedicated computer to run an adhoc/internet sharing subnetwork instead.

That's just another router. Sorry, IP routing is IP routing, whether it is done by a purpose-built router or a PC.

[finnschi]

There are more ways of running a wireless internet connection than 802.11x .. think bluetooth or even a local 3g sender/receiver would do it! they wont be able to find those!

Ps. its really easy to find hidden SSID's ;) :eek:

[finnschi]

Use Directional antennas, and reflectors to reflect the signal rndomly, so they won't figure out Where the router is... ;)

[Jpoon]

Like everyone else said, whether or not you agree with the fact that there's no wireless in the dorms, you shouldn't have moved in if you had a choice to begin with if you had a problems with their stupid policies.

If you were forced there, *I'm a bit drunk, it's New Years and I didn't see that* sorry : \...... Hopefully they don't block bittorrent, because that'd be a living hell for me at least. Because they probably limit bandwidth on online games as well.

[dinaluvsApple]

lol american universities.

in canada they could give a rats ass what we do with our connection.

each student gets 50gb of bandwidth per month.
they practicly promote pirating.

have u tried tethering your iphone to the laptop.

ive got 6gb of data per month on my iphone so i tether is once in a while.

[Boston Fan]

lol american universities.

in canada they could give a rats ass what we do with our connection.
Well, it is *just* Canada.

:D

[Emerica]

Same thing happened in my dorm, kids we're running a ton of wireless networks anyways. You can always just not broadcast the ssid.

Exactly, that's what I was thinking. Don't broadcast the SSID and no one would know you had wireless unless they used a wireless stumbler, which is highly unlikely.

[Jake381]

Get a Time Capsule and when they challenge you about it being a wireless hub just say "don't be stupid. It's a backup machine. It can't even broadcast a wireless signal". Then act all innocent when they explain to you it is and say you will find a way to disable the wireless capabilities. Perhaps leave an ethernet cable in the back of it to make a point too (then they will think you really are an idiot ;))

[ec51]

just get a time capsule and tell them its your external hd

[mathnerd]

In some cases the schools network can work against you on its own. Do a search for Meru Networks and read up on their over the air and over the wire rogue mitigation. I have been installing these systems for about the last year and unless your AP's MAC is in the controller whitelist you wont be able to connect to it (over the air mitigation) or you will connect and the switchport the AP is plugged into will be disabled (Over the wire mitigation). Just finished an install of about 100 AP's at a local University and it works like a charm. The days of plugging up your own AP are limited.

[mlts22]

This is a classic cat and mouse game. I'm not sure why the school doesn't just provide wireless using some sort of setup like a Cisco Clean Access router, as opposed to hunting down wireless APs.

There are four main options:

1: Accept what they have.

2: Connect a wired NAT box so you can use multiple machines and only have one IP facing their network.

3: Try your luck with a wireless AP.

4: Use another Internet connection (Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, even Cricket offer USB based receivers that are completely independant. Be warned, most have bandwidth caps and will either charge by the bit, or throttle if one goes past a certain limit a month.)

I personally would do #1 or #4 first until you get to know the admins.

Some IT people are just having to stick to laws like CALEA, rules, and policies set from above. As long as they don't get burnt by someone else's mistake (like having the RIAA come with court ordered motions of discovery), they don't really care what a student does. You can use a proxy server or VPN, do what you feel like.

Other IT people will drop the ban hammer down on the first sign of trouble, then ask questions later. They will search the list of MAC addresses in use, try to find the ones that belong to companies that sell routers, then bag those preemptively. Then, they will bring out the DF equipment and hunt down the access points hiding in dorm rooms.

Use your judgement. In any case, don't antagonize the IT staff, especially if just starting out and new to a college. Maybe after they get to know you and see your face, they won't mind an AP that is WPA2 secured and has no visible SSID, but starting out at a new semester, they will be all policy.

[anirban]

One of the big reasons as to why we were not allowed to have routers in our dorms (in my university) was due to internet connection sharing.

The bandwidth was fixed for each ethernet port, and using a router would allow several other people to hop into one connection, hogging all the bandwidth. Also people who were not paying for the internet, would get to use it- which seemed to annoy the IT people there.

They also said that tons of people had no idea how to put in a router, and most of them plugged it in backwards (the cord from ethernet port to LAN of router, instead of WAN) causing the router to act as a "rouge" DHCP server and assigning IP addresses to several other ports on the network.

[mlts22]

One of the big reasons as to why we were not allowed to have routers in our dorms (in my university) was due to internet connection sharing.

The bandwidth was fixed for each ethernet port, and using a router would allow several other people to hop into one connection, hogging all the bandwidth. Also people who were not paying for the internet, would get to use it- which seemed to annoy the IT people there.

They also said that tons of people had no idea how to put in a router, and most of them plugged it in backwards (the cord from ethernet port to LAN of router, instead of WAN) causing the router to act as a "rouge" DHCP server and assigning IP addresses to several other ports on the network.

That makes sense about their policies now. My cynical side says that because they charge some and not others for Internet access, they want to keep the dollars flowing in. This explains the reason they pursue wireless APs with such a passion, rather than fear of a rogue DHCP server. What they should have been done is make the Internet access part of the dorm rent. This would bring them more revenue overall. Especially if they put in a wireless network segment themselves that has strong dorm-wide coverage where one gets max signal virtually anywhere in the building except for the homemade Faraday cage put together with Coors Light cans that someone always has in their dorm room.

[Cassie]

just get a time capsule and tell them its your external hd

Wait, what?:confused: