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College wifi network not mac compatable

Erendiox

Erendiox

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 15, 2004
706
12
Brooklyn NY
I have never heard of anything like this, but it seems to be true. My college wifi network uses some protocol that seems only accessable by windows computers running XP. I don't know too much about servers and networks etc, but from what I gathered from the website its something called a "Cisco PIX firewall" and a "Microsoft Internet Security and Accelleration (ISA) Server". I'm pretty pissed to discover this. I'm a communications student, and we have a building with thousands of dollars worth of G5s for video/audio editing. Why on earth would they block out a platform that they teach their students to use?

Can anyone tell me for sure if i'm SOL here? Is there no way around this? I'm very good with computers, and can usually figure things out on my own, but this has me baffled. Airport reads that it's recieving a signal, but i'm not getting any internet connection. Theres a long instruction list to get connected, which involves lots of hoops to jump through, but like I said, it's for Windows XP.

I bought a mac for alot of reasons, one of them being the fact that it's the platform I use at school, and, while i'll live if its the case, i'll be very angry at my school if I can't get connected. Its a resource all the students are supposed to have access to, and I pay tuition just like everyone else.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
 
By any chance do they teach Intelligent Design at this "college?" I ask only because the IT department seems to be living in the dark ages.
 
tfaz1 said:
By any chance do they teach Intelligent Design at this "college?" I ask only because the IT department seems to be living in the dark ages.
Click to expand...

I don't think using CKIP over wireless can be considered "living in the dark ages". At least they are trying to secure their network, obviously half-heartedly. :)
 
Erendiox said:
I have never heard of anything like this, but it seems to be true. My college wifi network uses some protocol that seems only accessable by windows computers running XP. I don't know too much about servers and networks etc, but from what I gathered from the website its something called a "Cisco PIX firewall" and a "Microsoft Internet Security and Accelleration (ISA) Server". I'm pretty pissed to discover this. I'm a communications student, and we have a building with thousands of dollars worth of G5s for video/audio editing. Why on earth would they block out a platform that they teach their students to use?

Can anyone tell me for sure if i'm SOL here? Is there no way around this? I'm very good with computers, and can usually figure things out on my own, but this has me baffled. Airport reads that it's recieving a signal, but i'm not getting any internet connection. Theres a long instruction list to get connected, which involves lots of hoops to jump through, but like I said, it's for Windows XP.

I bought a mac for alot of reasons, one of them being the fact that it's the platform I use at school, and, while i'll live if its the case, i'll be very angry at my school if I can't get connected. Its a resource all the students are supposed to have access to, and I pay tuition just like everyone else.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
Click to expand...
You probably need a Cisco VPN Client software, which is avaliable for the Mac, this is the same setup they use at Penn State Main campus, and it works just fine. You should be able to find it from your schools website. The setup they probably have a wireless network setup, but to get athenticated and out to the actual internet/network you need to use the VPN Software. Which if I'm correct in my guessing, is just your username and password that you use for signing into any of the desktops around campus that they have for you to use. You should not be SOL.
 
This was in another thread, but someone recommended trying to register it as summat other than a computer (eg, a game console)
 
This won't help with accessing the wireless network all over campus, but if you're in the dorms, and wireless is the only connection, it will work. (If it has Ethernet, just plug an AirPort base with SSID off into the Ethernet, so you can use it, but it won't broadcast for the whole world to see.)

1. Get an old PC.

2. Put a wireless card and an Ethernet card in it.

3. Get an AirPort base.

4. Configure the PC to connect wirelessly according to the measures they make you use.

5. Configure the PC to share it's internet connection over Ethernet

6. Plug the AirPort base into the PC's Ethernet port.

7. Turn off SSID broadcast on the AirPort so you can use it, but it won't advertise that you've got an unapproved wireless going.
 
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