The Whitman Network

Once you’ve protected your computer and activated your account you’re free to use all the resources the Whitman Student Network (ResNet) has to offer. You’ll be able to store projects on the network file systems, create a your own home page, read your Whitman E-mail and more.

Big Red XProtect Your Computer and Our Network

Before you plug your computer into the Whitman ResNet Network you must:

Complete instructions available at your residence hall registration table, from the Maxey and Olin labs, or at http://wcts.whitman.edu/beforeyouresnet.html (from a lab computer.)

These steps are extremely important, and are mandatory before you can activate your ResNet connection. If you do not complete them, and it results in the spread of a virus or worm on the network, you may be charged for the time and work required to restore the system.

If you need assistance...

New! Wireless Throughout Jewett and Lyman!

Have a laptop with a WiFi card? You'll find wireless hotspots in all residence hall lounges, and full wireless coverage throughout all of Jewett Hall and Lyman House. WCTS is currently preparing to install wireless throughout Anderson Hall as well, with the goal of completion for the beginning of the Spring 2008 term.

What you need to know to use WiFi at Whitman:
The wireless ethernet network at Whitman will show up on your computer as whitman_wireless. It is the same wherever you are in a residence hall, an academic building, even Ankeny Field.

Don't stop at just connecting, though, you won't have an active network connection until you use your web browser to log in to Whitman's "Vernier" wireless security page.

At the risk of repeating ourselves, please remember that personal wireless access points or routers are a big no-no on the Whitman network. They are strictly forbidden because they can interfere with the operation of network equipment.

Student Portal Page:

Consider setting the Whitman Student Portal Page as the homepage in your web browser. You'll notice it is already the homepage on library and lab computers all over campus. The Portal Page is stuffed with links and shortcuts to all kinds of resources and information you'll use regularly at Whitman. http://www.whitman.edu/students

Connect to the Student Network (ResNet)

All students living on campus have better, faster access to academic records, course materials, E-mail and the World Wide Web. Each residence hall room is equipped with Ethernet ports that you can plug your computer into for network access. We call this network ResNet. Each student should only connect one computer and no network routers, airports, hubs or switches without express authorization from WCTS (see our Acceptable Use Policy http://wcts.whitman.edu/policy/aup.html .)

Though most computers today are network-ready, note that you need these things:

Before you plug in your computer please read Protect Your Computer and Our Network.

Should you need assistance, there are many resources available to help you. Your primary source of technical assistance in any Residence Hall is your ResNet Assistant. They are trained to help you get connected to the network. To schedule an appointment, sign-up on your hall’s main bulletin board.

For configuration questions, you may also contact the Help Desk at x4976 or helpdesk@whitman.edu. Finally, there is a bulletin board just outside the Olin 168 office with a list of technicians for hire if you need advanced assistance. WCTS cannot provide support beyond the network outlet for personal computers.

Activating your Student Account:

All students new to Whitman College this fall must “activate” their Student Network Account before they can use computer resources at the College. Most students do this in the summer before arriving on campus. If you have not activated your Student Account you should visit either the Olin or Maxey computer Lab. In the Lab open a web browser to http://wcts.whitman.edu/activate_account.html and follow the on-screen instructions.

This Student Account gives you access to the Students E-mail server. You also have the ability to log into public and Lab machines and to save up to 20MB of private files on the academic file server.

If you are having trouble activating your computer account, contact the WCTS Help Desk at ext. 4976, Monday-Friday, 8AM - 5PM.

Secure Shell Internet

In order to promote a Whitman style electronic culture, Whitman servers maintained by WCTS all require that you use Secure Shell (SSH) instead of regular telnet. SSH encrypts information that is passed over the network so that other people can’t decipher your messages. This gives Whitman’s network traffic greater security, and more protection from hackers.

You can get SSH free for your personal computer plus instructions at http://www.whitman.edu/content/wcts/docs/network/ssh

You can also use a web based SSH by pointing your browser to http://people.whitman.edu/mindterm

netFiles: Internet Access to Your Files

As a Whitman student, you have 200MB of file storage space on netFiles, Whitman’s new internet file storage system. With netFiles, you can save papers and other files you are working on and then access them from the labs, your dorm room, or even off campus through the internet.

If you’re a returning student, you will have access to the old system (called the Acad-server or the G: drive) for a few months, and then you’ll need to use netFiles.* If you’re an incoming student, don’t worry about the old system – just use netFiles.

In the labs, there are two different ways to use netFiles – through netFiles Web and netFiles Folders. When you log into any lab PC (Windows) using your network username and password, you will see icons on the desktop for both views.

netFiles Web

Works the same wherever you are. All you need is a web browser.

Requires that you download your file, work on it, then upload it back to netFiles.

netFiles Folders

Open and save Microsoft files right where they are (no downloading or uploading)

Using non-Microsoft Office files requires you copy them to the computer and drag them back to netFiles when you’re done.

On lab Macs, you’ll have similar choices for viewing through a web browser or through netFiles Folders.

Keeping your files safe.

The security behind netFiles is the same kind that major players like Amazon.com use for their on-line shopping carts, so you know that your files are safe. But remember – the most important security measures are in your hands!

Keep your username and password safe

Make sure you log out of any computer when you’re finished! You’ll find the Log Out/Log Off command under the Apple menu on lab Macs, and under the Start button -> Shutdown on lab PCs.

Remember to keep copies of your files in locations other than netFiles, such as your computer or removable storage (CDs, USB flash drives, etc.).

* For more information on migrating your files and using netFiles, go to http://wcts.whitman.edu/netfiles

Your Personal Network Folder

As a Whitman student, you have 20MB of file storage space on the Whitman network, so you can save papers and other documents you are working on and access them from other locations on campus, such as from multiple computer labs and from your own personal computer. 20MB is not a lot, but it is usually enough to store normal coursework.

How do you get to this private storage space?

First, be aware that your space, or “folder” is on a file server called the “Acad-server.” When you log in to any lab (Windows) PC using your network username and password, you are automatically connected to the server, and your folder becomes “Drive G” -- so when opening or saving a document, you can scroll down the list of available drives (C:\ being the hard drive, etc) and simply pick the “G:\” drive as the location you want. On a Macintosh lab computer, open the icon on the desktop labeled files, then open the Home folder. You’ll see a long list of folders labeled with people’s usernames (you can see other folders, but you can’t open them). Simply type the first letter of your last name, the window should automatically scroll down to that alphabetical section of folders, and from there you can easily locate the folder with your username.

To get to your folder from ResNet or off-campus, we recommend using an FTP program (Fetch on a Mac). See the instructions at wcts.whitman.edu/docs if you need to know how to get and use FTP. Set your FTP program to connect to acad-server.whitman.edu along with your network username and password.

What is the most important thing to remember about your personal folder?

Make sure your last step is to LOG OUT when you are finished. Otherwise, the next person using the computer can get to your folder, and your files are no longer secure. You’ll find the Log out command under the apple menu on lab macs, and under the Start button‹Shutdown on lab PCs.

Creating Homepages

Homepages are a great way to express yourself and communicate with the world at large. They are also relatively simple to create! One of the first things you will need to do is set up your account so that you can create your own homepages. The easiest way to do this is to run the webwizard:

  1. SSH into Students (students.whitman.edu) and login.
  2. At the students% prompt, type setup_my_web_page and hit Enter

Your web space will be available within 24 hours through http://people.whitman.edu or by typing http://people.whitman.edu/~ and your network user name. For more information on building a web page or pages to publish in this space, see our instructions at http://wcts.whitman.edu/docs/ (follow the link labeled “specialized documentation.”).

On-Line Computer Workshops with Element K

Element K is an on-line software training site, available to Whitman Faculty, Students and Staff. You can take all or part of a “course” at your own pace from any computer connected to the internet. Course topics include MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), web-authoring applications like Dreamweaver, and graphics programs like Photoshop and Illustrator, as well as other software titles.

To request a login, Send an e-mail to training@whitman.edu. This login is given to you for one month and can be extended as needed.

Element K provides extensive help. Each page has a “help” link you can click for assistance. For Whitman-specific Element K questions, E-mail training@whitman.edu or go to http://wcts.whitman.edu/training and click on the Element K link.

Stop Viruses and Spam before they reach you:

One great service available to help cut down on virus infected E-mail and spam messages is Postini. Postini is a gatekeeper and filter for your E-mail. It checks all incoming off-campus E-mail for viruses or spam and quarantines suspected messages. You can then view and manage quarantined messages in a safe and private off-campus “Message Center”, keeping your campus mailbox free of virus and spam E-mail. Postini is a service provided free for the Whitman community, but it is not set up automatically to work for you; you have to visit https://secureserver.whitman.edu/postini and activate it. Detailed instructions on using Postini can be found at http://www.postini.com/help/ and http://www.postini.com/help/#FAQs

Postini is private and secure. The E-mail scanning and filtering is an automated process. Nobody but you can enable the filters or change the Postini settings for your E-mail.

Important Note: Postini only checks E-mail incoming from off-campus. You are not completely protected from viruses unless you install your own anti-virus software.

If you are having trouble setting up Postini, contact the WCTS Help Desk at ext. 4976, Monday-Friday, 8AM - 5PM.