Ethernetcard requiredfor Internetaccess in residence halls

During the week of Oct. 1, stuqents who were hired by Peter Bretz, head of learning resources and technology, will install the ethernet card into the computers of those resident students who applied. This process should take less than a half-hour for each computer.

by Nicholas Burch staff writer

A major concern of resident students so far has been access to the Internet in the residence halls. Students will be glad to know that this concern is being dealt with through the installation of an ethernet card in the students' computers.

The ethemet card hooks up the students' computers to the Cabrini network to give residents access to the Internet. Applications were distributed a week ago and installation will start this coming week.

Students previously had to use a modem to have access to the Internet. With the ethernet card, students' computers connect to the campus network in a way similar to the computers in the computer lab.

Peter Bretz, head of learning resources and technology, is in charge of installing the ethernet card.

Students hired by Bretz will come to residents' dorm rooms during the week of Oct. 1 to install the ethernet card into each students' computer.

Installation is fairly quick and it will take less than a half-hour per computer to install. So far, there are only two students to do the installations, but according to Bretz, if installation is slow, more could be hired to help pick up the pace.

There is no cost to students in the dorms. The college supplies the card and the funding comes out of their room cost. The advantage, according to Bretz, is the speed that the ethernet card produces.

"It's a much faster means of connecting to the Internet and would typically be 50 times faster, if not more, than connecting to a modem," said Bretz. "Fluctuation would depend on the number of students on-line at a given time."

The biggest question that Bretz has heard from students concerns whether Cabrini will restrict what access individuals will have on the Internet.

"Currently, we are not going to filter information," Bretz said.

An advantage of the ethernet card is the availability to be on the Internet and not tie up a phone line. With modems, the phone line is being used when the students are on-line. The disturbance of the phone line was a major concern among students last year. If someone needed to call home, it was impossible to do so if their roommate was on-line. With the ethernet card, the problem is completely avoided.

The ethernet card allows a computer to hook into the Internet. It is a piece of hardware similar to a sound-card, since it is installed in the computer. It serves the same purpose as a modem, only faster.

Certified Network Engineer. Eric Harris likes what Cabrini has done for its students.

"If it does not cost any extra for students. it is a wonderful thing," Harris said. "The ethernet card will let students have access to the web, access to the Internet and to the intranet." top: Dorm rooms can now have access to the intranet and Internet. bottom: The ethernet card is inserted into a studenrs computer so the Web can be accessed.

The differences between them are that the Internet is worldwide and the intranet is a local network on campus. Students will have access to the Internet. As the college develops its intranet, students will also have access.