• Home
• Getting Help
• Services
• Initiatives
• About ITS
• News from ITS
• Feedback

Resumes being accepted

ITS Resnet is currently accepting resumes for the position of Residential Computer Consultant. More information about this position please visit ITS Student Employment positions. Direct all inquiries to itsdsrjobs@rit.edu.

Wireless FAQs

Q: Why are personal wireless routers no longer allowed in RIT Housing (RIT Inn and Riverknoll excepted)?
A: There is a limited amount of wireless spectrum as defined by the FCC. This is to reduce wireless pollution and conserve wireless spectrum space for other uses such as television and radio.
From Wikipedia:
Wi-Fi pollution, or an excessive number of access points in the area, especially on the same or neighboring channel, can prevent access and interfere with the use of other access points by others, caused by overlapping channels in the 802.11g/b spectrum, as well as with decreased signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) between access points. This can be a problem in high-density areas, such as large apartment complexes or office buildings with many Wi-Fi access points. Additionally, other devices use the 2.4 GHz band: microwave ovens, security cameras, ZigBee devices, Bluetooth devices and (in some countries) Amateur radio, video senders, cordless phones and baby monitors, all of which can cause significant additional interference.

The access points installed by RIT communicate with each other through a central server so they actively avoid interfering with each other. This is required because there are 3,500 access points across campus. When other access points transmit at the same time, it disrupts the ability of the RIT access points to coordinate with each other and degrades network performance for every user in the area. The design and placement of the access points ensure seamless coverage across campus.
Q: Is wireless internet available in Riverknoll and the RIT Inn?
A: Riverknoll is not connected to the RIT network and is serviced by Road Runner. There are plans to deploy the wireless solution to the new Global Village Complex. The RIT Inn was not part of the original wireless project and is currently being evaluated for possible future wireless internet infrastructure.

Q: What if my device doesnt support WPA2?
A: Nearly every device made after 2003 with a Wi-Fi Certification on it supports WPA2. If, for some reason, your device doesnt support WPA2 (older wireless card, game console), for the time being, you can connect it to unsecured "rit" access points. If you dont see an option for WPA2 with your wireless card, update the software on the device (Windows, the device firmware); many devices physically support WPA2, its just not enabled on older versions of the software. When the final transition to "ritwpa2" happens, if your device does not physically support WPA2, you can bring your device to the ITS Resnet Office or the ITS HelpDesk and there is a process in place to transition these devices to the new system.

Q: Is this related to media piracy?
A: No. The RIT Network is not used to track media piracy or individuals.

Q: Is this limiting access to the RIT network?
A: No. When connected to the wired ethernet, an RIT username and password is required to register the computer. When connected to the unprotected "rit" SSID, the same requirement applies. When connecting to "ritwpa" or "ritwpa2", an RIT username and password is required to authenticate. Once connected, there is full, direct, and unfiltered/unshaped access to the internet.
Q: What about game consoles?
A: The Sony PlayStation 3 will connect to "rit"; it does not support WPA/WPA2 Enterprise authentication. The Nintendo Wii will not connect to any RIT-provided wireless; there is an open case between Cisco and Nintendo to resolve this exact issue. In the mean time, Nintendo produces a wired ethernet adapter that will work on the RIT network.

Q: What about wireless printers?
A: Since wireless printers act as wireless access points, they are likewise not allowed in RIT Housing (RIT Inn and Riverknoll excepted). They cause the same interference problem as other wireless access points and certain HP printers actively cause interference on the network by "hopping" channels. Since the RIT-installed access points coordinate with each other so as not to overlap channels, this channel "hopping" causes a great deal of problems on the network for connected users. Wireless printers that have the wireless radio disabled are allowed, and the printer should have an ethernet or USB connection to connect it to a computer.

Q: When should I use wireless internet and when should I use wired internet?
A: Wireless internet is ideal for devices that are constantly mobile, such as laptops and PDAs/smartphones. Desktops, stationary laptops, and game consoles should use the wired internet to improve network performance for their computer. 802.11n, the new standard deployed on campus, has a theoretical maximum of 144 Mbps throughput, but this is under the most ideal circumstances. Due to environmental interference and the fact that signal strength decreases with the distance from the access point, speeds of 60-80 Mbps are more typical. This also requires an 802.11n card in your computer, which many computers do not have. 802.11g, the more common standard, has a theoretical maximum of 54 Mbps, with typical speeds around 10-25 Mbps. This is still plenty fast for web browsing and instant messaging.
The wired internet has a guaranteed speed of 100 Mbps or 1000 Mbps, depending on your location on campus. This speed will never decrease. This makes it ideal for high bandwidth applications, such as video chat.

Q: Why do I sometimes get a "Low" signal strength?
A: Computer network cards can have problems filtering out interference and interpret the extra interference as low signal strength. Since the Cisco routers coordinate with each other to avoid interfering with themselves, there is very little actual interference from the RIT wireless infrastructure. As long as internet speeds remain acceptable, the "Low" signal strength should not be a problem. If you are getting low internet speeds, check for the following common causes of interference:
*Personal wireless routers (prohibited in RIT Housing, unless the wireless radio is disabled)
*Wireless printers (prohibited in RIT Housing, unless the wireless radio is disabled)
*Microwaves
*Xbox 360 controllers
*Cordless phones

ITS is continually evaluating the quality of service and coverage.

If you have any other questions or concerns please contact ITS Resnet for support.

Planned Brief Wired Network Outages in Dorms & RIT INN

***WIRED NETWORK ACCESS WILL BE INTERRUPTED BRIEFLY, in Dorms and RIT Inn, Sunday February 5th 3am-8am***
Network maintenance will be performed tomorrow, Sunday, February 5, 2012. Work will begin at 3:00am and will continue through 8:00am. Wired network connections will be interrupted on a rolling basis, while upgrades are completed for a brief time frame in each area. The wireless network will be unaffected by this outage.
Users may need to reboot systems after outages in order to regain access to the RIT Network.
Full access is expected to be restored by 8:00am. If you have any question or concerns, please contact the ITS Resnet office at (585) 475-2600 or the ITS Service Desk at (585) 475-4357.

Finding your game console

In order to register your game console for use on RIT’s wired or wireless networks, you need to determine its MAC address. These instructions explain how.
Xbox 360
1. Go to the [System] area of the Xbox Dashboard.
2. Select [Network Settings].
3. Select [Edit Settings].
4. Select [Additional Settings].
5. Select [Advanced Settings].
At the bottom of this screen you'll see a heading called "Wired MAC Address."
Playstation 3
From the PS3 main menu screen:
1. Select [Settings].
2. Select [System Settings].
3. Select [System Information].
This screen will display your PS3 MAC address.
Wii
1. From the Wii Channel screen select the [Wii] button.
2. Go into [Wii Settings].
3. On the second page find the option [Internet] 4. then go under [Console Information].
This screen should have a line with "USB Ethernet Adapter MAC Address" or "LAN Adapter MAC Address" or similar. (Note: The wireless MAC address will not work.)

If you need further assistance please contact the Resnet office.

Planned Brief Network Outages in University Commons

***NETWORK ACCESS WILL BE INTERRUPTED BRIEFLY, in University Commons August 3-7***

In order to enhance the campus' wireless connection, network maintenance will be performed starting Monday, August 3, 2009. Work will begin at 7:00am and will continue through August 7th. Network connections will be interrupted while upgrades are completed for a brief time frame in each UC area.

Full access is expected to be restored by 4:30pm each day. If you have any question or concerns please contact the Resnet office at (585) 475-2600.

Need help registering an Xbox, PS, router, etc.? Here are some tips!

Are you attempting to register a "non-computer" type device such as a game console, router, etc on the RIT network? Do you need some extra help? Here are some helpful tips:
To register a gaming console:
1) Obtain the MAC address from your network properties on your console.
2) Go to http://start.rit.edu on your computer and click on register computer.
3) Click on advanced registration.
4) Enter the MAC address of the console in the MAC field on advanced registration.
5) Submit, wait 15 minutes, and restart your console.

Registering a router:
1) Connect the WAN port of your router to the blue jack on your wall (Important: DO NOT plug the numbered ports on your router to your blue jack or your wall port WILL be disabled!)
2) Plug a computer into one of the numbered ports on your router, and direct a browser to http://start.rit.edu.
3) At the "start" page click on Register Computer and follow the steps to register. Since your router is the externally facing device, you are now registering your router.
4) Once registration is completed, wait 15 minutes, and power cycle your router, you should now have connectivity.

If you have questions or require further assistance please contact Resnet at 475-2600 or 475-4927 TTY.

Hours of Operation

Important Resnet Links

What Do You Think About File Sharing?

Now Accepting Resumes

RIT Code of Conduct for Computer and Network Use