Over the last two weeks Wesleyan’s Information Technology Services (ITS) staff have been overloaded with problems in registering student computers on the new University systems. These problems were due to the installation over the summer of numerous new systems to cope with viruses infecting student computers.
“Last year we got slammed with viruses, and we just had to figure something out,” said Justin Rogers ’05, ITS Helpdesk manager. “With everyone on campus connected the viruses spread automatically, and things can spiral out of control.”
Students living in dorms this semester have had to go online to download Windows Update as part of registering their computers.
“You have to download antivirus software and patch your computer before you can go online,” Rogers said.
Substantial problems occurred when Windows Update failed on many computers.
“When that fails people can’t register, which sucks for them” Rogers said. “We had to have people run it multiple times, and eventually it goes through.” According to Rogers, Macs had virtually no problems registering on the new system.
Almost all problems with senior wood-frame houses and program housing are unrelated to the new systems. All dorms are connected via fiberline to a main line in the Science Tower building, which houses are generally not connected to.
“There can still be problems in program houses and senior houses if virus trafficking causes the modem in the basement to shut down or not work right,” Rogers said.
Usually problems in wood-frame houses occur simply because the houses and the hardware are old, or because Ethernet jacks get damaged during moving, according to Rogers.
While most seniors were unaffected by the updates, there are four senior wood-frame houses that connect to the main Wesleyan system. Jeff Tabachnick ’05, who lives on Home Avenue, said that he lost his Internet connection after ITS installed the system changes over the summer.
“When I got back to school I had Internet for about a week until it just stopped working,” Tabachnick said. “They changed the system and had neglected a few houses on our street.”
Tabachnick’s house went without Internet for three weeks before ITS had time to help.
According to Rogers the problems with registering computers in dorms are finally starting to die down.
“I’m hoping to get through our waiting list by this weekend, but probably that’s not going to happen,” Rogers said. “This is the first test of our new system and it seems to be working. Nineteen-hundred students are already registered.”
Now that student computers are registered they will not only enjoy virus-free access to the Internet, but much higher speeds in connecting to the campus network.
According to Rogers, ITS replaced 10-megabit switches with 100 megabit switches in all the dorms on campus. While this will not enhance student connections to the outside world, it will make intracampus connectivity much faster.
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