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FAQs about technology
Should I bring my own computer?
This is a decision you and your parents will have to make. About 70 percent of our students bring their own computers to campus, and the percentage grows every year. The college keeps a 1-to-10 ratio of computers to students, so there are many computers available in dorms and other labs around campus. At busy times of the semester—mid-term and finals week—you may have to travel to a different lab to find an open computer.
What do you recommend—PC or laptop?
Most students bring a laptop. Students appreciate the option of taking it to class or home during weekends or breaks. Also, as Northwestern continues to expand its wireless network, a laptop is becoming increasingly useful across campus. Click here (PDF) for a detailed list of computer purchase recommendations.
What about printing and scanning?
Laser printers are available 24 hours per day in every residence hall and apartment building. Additional printers—including a color laser printer—are available in the Learning Resource Center (LRC) computer lab, which is located in Van Peursem Hall. There is one general-use scanner located in the LRC computer lab, as well as specialty scanners located in different classrooms and lab locations around campus. Black-and-white laser printing costs 10¢ per page, while color printing costs 50¢ per page. Students get a credit of $15 per semester for printing on campus printers, which means you can print 150 pages per semester on the black-and-white printers before you have to pay for printing. There’s no cost to print on your own personal printer.
How accessible are the computer labs?
Dorm labs are open 24 hours a day. Computers in other buildings are available during regular building hours. Labs are busy right after chapel and afternoons during the week, as well as during midterm and finals week when many papers are due. Planning ahead during these times is recommended.
Does Northwestern provide Internet access in all the dorms?
Yes. Northwestern has what we call a “port per pillow.” In other words, all residence hall rooms have a network connection for each student.
Is the network compatible with Macs, and do you offer any computer support for Mac users?
We offer Internet and e-mail support for Mac users. Printing on campus printers is not available on a Mac.
How fast is the campus network?
We have a wired Ethernet network across campus that is comprised of a high-speed fiber-optic backbone. Students are connected at a 10/100 speed in the dorm rooms and have access to our network resources at that speed. Our Internet is connected to our ISP by a fractional DS3 connection at 20 megabytes. This connection is monitored with different filters and firewalls to prevent unwanted traffic from passing through. The college monitors the use of bandwidth to make sure the network is a useful tool for the academic community. The college uses Internet Explorer as its browser, but any of the main Web browsers work fine.
Is your network wireless?
We have different wireless areas on campus that can be used by students. The main academic building, library, theatre arts center, student center and some outdoor areas on campus provide wireless network access. The network is accessible with the wireless standard of 802.11b, as well as 802.11g in specific areas. Click here to view our wireless coverage map.
How do I get hooked up to the network?
After arriving on campus, connecting to our network is simple. Just connect your computer to the network port in your room with a standard network cable (available for purchase in the LRC) and open your Internet browser. You will be prompted to install a program called Cisco Clean Access which will check to make sure you have all Windows Updates installed and that your anti-virus software is updated.
What are the college’s policies regarding computer/Internet use?
The student handbook contains a complete listing of Northwestern’s policies concerning use of your computer account, e-mail, and the college’s computer resources—including the network. See pages 41-44.
Are there fees for computer and/or Internet use?
Northwestern students have free use of e-mail, the Internet and 100 megabytes of network storage space. You’ll need to purchase a network/Ethernet card to get connected to the college’s network if you don’t already have one. The only other charges are:
- Printing charges if you go over your $15-per-semester credit for printing.
Do you offer students discounts for computers and software?
We don’t sell hardware or software. However, most vendors offer an academic discount or student purchase program that provides substantial savings over regular prices. Check with the dealer or store to find out what benefits they offer.
Is anti-virus software required on computers brought from home? If so, does the college provide it?
Up-to-date anti-virus software is required on all computers connected to the campus network. We don’t provide or sell it, but you can find anti-virus software on the Internet and in almost any electronics store. Click here for our anti-virus software page.
What kind of software does the college provide?
For all campus-owned computers, the college provides the following software for student use: Microsoft Office 2007—including Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint and FrontPage—and a Web version of Microsoft Outlook. We also offer for students in specific classes the advanced statistics program SPSS; the Adobe Suite of Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator and Acrobat; and numerous specialty software programs for various academic departments.
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