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Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What services does Residential Computing provide for summer conferences? A. Our most popular services are residential computer cluster rentals and in-room network connections, but a complete list of the services we provide can be found on our Service Chart page. Q. I'm coordinating a large conference. How do I get Internet Access for the participants? A. While each participant can arrange for their own individual in-room network connection once on campus (or earlier if they already know their room assignment), Residential Computing can also arrange Bulk Requests for In-Room Network Connections so the cost can be covered by the conference itself. These bulk requests must be submitted by the conference and allow access to all participants living in the conference residence. Q. I bought my entire conference in-room network connections, but some of our participants can't get on the Internet! What can I do? A. Pleae call us at 650-736-0651. When you call, be sure to provide the name and location of your summer conference and have your computer's hardware Ethernet address handy. For help on finding your hardware Ethernet address, please see our Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Your Hardware Ethernet Address. Some participants may experience network connection problems a few days after connecting because of desktop security issues. We strongly recommend patching and securing your computer BEFORE connecting to the network and reviewing Stanford Computing and Network Usage Policies, thoroughly to avoid any complications during your stay. Q. How much does it cost to set up my entire conference with in-room Internet access? A. All computers must be registered with Residential Computing in order to gain access to the Stanford University network and the Internet. From a campus residence a computer can be registered and network access can be obtained for $30 a week, or $75 for the entire summer. If your conference is two weeks or less, you'll probably want the weekly rate of $30 per computer. If it is more than two weeks, it's worthwhile to go for the $75 dollar "Entire Summer" rate. Conferences can submit bulk requests for in-room network connections or participants can register individually. Q. Do you provide technical support for my conference participants? A. Yes. While Residential Computing provides mainly Net-to-Jack service, we can also provide individual technical support at the rate of $40/hour. We highly believe in the adage "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" and greatly encourage participants to read our Stanford Computing and Network Usage Policies BEFORE connecting to the network. We have found that most on-campus technical problems, including disconnecting of network service, are experienced by unpatched, insecure computers belonging to participants who did not bother to read, or heed our warnings and by users explicitly violating the computing and network usage policies. Q. Is there wireless available for my conference? If so, how much does it cost? A. The wireless network can be accessed by anyone with a registered computer (the computer's wireless networking card's hardware Ethernet address must be included when registering). However, wireless networking is not available in all residences or on all parts of campus. For a map of wireless availability, click here. You may also want to review our general page on Wireless Networking in the Residences. Some conferences have made arrangements with Residential Computing to set up their own individual wireless network (after discovering that they are not in a location with wireless accessibility). Check out our page on Setting Up Wireless for more details. Return to top Q. How do I take care of the bill? A. Payment options vary depending on affiliation of the summer conference with the University. Some summer conferences directly affiliated with a Stanford department will have access to a PTAEO account through which we can arrange payment with Residential Computing. Others will have to arrange payment either through cash, check or online. All payments can be arranged by emailing conferences@rescomp.stanford.edu. Q. We got a lot computer viruses last summer. Do you have any hints on how to secure our computers? A. Residential Computing would like to provide conferences with a wealth of material on this subject as it has lead to a great deal of hardship in the past. In general, here are the Rules to Live By, along with links to detailed information:
Q.How safe is Stanford during the summer? Do I have to bolt my computer down? A. Note that computer theft does happen on Stanford campus, especially during the summer. Conferences that decide to set up their own computer clusters should seriously concern themselves with physically securing their computers. The Stanford Bookstore sells all kinds of desk-to-computer type locks. Laptops, in particular (both personal and belonging to the conference), should be kept secured at all times. Some conferences choose to rent an additional room from Summer Conference Services and simply set up their cluster behind a lockable door rather than in a common space, like the lounge or seminar room. However, even behind a lockable door, securing your computers to a desk is a must! Q. We have a bunch of computers that our program members are all going to share. How do I get Internet access for them? A. You can register your conference's cluster or "public" computers by submitting a bulk in-room network connections request. To submit a bulk request, review the page on bulk requests for conference cluster network connections and then email conferences@rescomp.stanford.edu. The Form requires that you register each computer using their hardware address. If you do not know where to find the hardware Ethernet address of your computer, check out our Step-by-Step Instructions on finding it! A network connection costs $30 a week, or $75 for the entire summer. Please submit Conf. Cluster requests a full two (2) weeks prior to the date of activation. Late requests will be subject to a 15% rush fee. Q. What do I need to connect? Can I access the Internet with our computers that are four years old? A. In order for your computers to connect to the campus network, they must have an Ethernet interface. Modems cannot dial-in to the Stanford University Network from the residences, so they are not a substitute for Ethernet capability (although technically you could dial-up to an external Internet service provider). If your computers have built-in Ethernet with a standard RJ45 connector (as do all Macs and most PCs), you won't need any additional hardware. For low-end or older PCs without built-in Ethernet, you will need to get an Ethernet card (internal or external) that is compatible with both 10baseT and faster 100baseT networks. If you already have 10baseT, however, it is far more than enough for most applications, including full screen streaming video. If you find your computer unable to connect due to hardware deficiencies, the Stanford Bookstore sells all of the necessary Ethernet equipment for most computers. If you plan on buying your own cards in advance, you should bring the driver software discs for your Ethernet cards with you just in case. If you would like to connect to the wireless network (where available), you will need an 802.11b (or g) wireless card. Many newer laptops come with wireless antennas built in so don't require a separate card, but understand that due to limited speed, reliability, and security, wireless is not necessarily a substitute for wired networking at this time. It is, however, increasingly a useful additional resource on campus and at a growing number of off-campus locations as well. For more information on setting up wireless networking for your conference, click here. For a map of wireless availability on campus, click here. Q. What exactly are the Stanford University Network Usage Policies? A. Whether you are aware of them or not, conference computers (whether personal or communal) are subject to the Stanford Computer and Network Usage Policies, as are all computers on campus. For your convenience, Residential Computing provides an overview of these policies, our own Acceptable Use Policy, and links to the complete texts of both. Q. We're renting some computers for our program from a local vendor. How do we set them up? A. In an attempt to limit costs, some conferences choose to rent computers from an outside vender for their stay at Stanford.However, we have found that these computers tend to be rather costly and stripped down of software (at least when compared to the software available on computers through Residential Computing). Conferences have experienced a great deal of hardship due to these "rental computers." For example, some have had their connections disconnected because they were posing a security threat to the entire Stanford Network (and thus failing to comply by Stanford Computing and Network Usage Policies). Others have required additional technical support (at $40 per hour through Residential Computing) just to configure/update the computers so that they would work on the Stanford Network. All in all, we highly recommend thoroughly researching different services and reading all the fine print when contracting with an outside vendor. Stanford does not reimburse users after disconnecting them due to security issues, and vendors generally will not provide reimbursements in the event that the computers you order do not comply with all of Stanford's requirements (and are therefore rendered useless on campus). Choose wisely, and read up on the vendor, the computers they are renting, and their return/reimbursement policy. |
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