CFCC's Wireless Info Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
What is wireless?
How does wireless work?
What is 802.11x and why do I have to have it?
What is a firewall?
What connection speed will I get?
What kind of battery life can I expect?
Can I use my PDA?
Can I use my Mac?
Why do I have to enable popups?
Why did I have to log back into the wireless network again during lunch?
There was no option to log out of the network and my ID was hung up for 10 minutes, what’s with that?
What is my CFCC username?
What is my password?
Who do I contact for support?
What is wireless?
Wireless is often used to refer to everything from cell phones to Palm Pilots, but it simply describes a process in which data is transmitted over electromagnetic waves.
The difference between SurfCFCC and cell phone service is that each device conveys information in a different protocol. Cell phones use WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) and SurfCFCC uses 802.11b/g protocol. Both provide mobility but with different functionality.
How does wireless work?
Devices called access points are connected to a network connection. The access points or “hot spots” broadcast a radio signal that is picked up by your laptop’s wireless card. Your laptop communicates with the hot spots and data is transmitted to the network.
What is 802.11x and why do I have to have it?
Currently there are three main wireless Ethernet standards: 802.11a, 802.11b (also known as Wifi, for wireless fidelity), and 802.11g. Both 802.11a and 802.11g support high transfer rates of 54 Megabytes per second (Mbps), while 802.11b has a slower transfer rate of 11 Mbps. Although 802.11b operates at a slower speed, it is currently the most popular standard. Cards and routers that function on the 802.11g standard are backwards compatible with the 802.11b standard. That is, 802.11g cards can connect to 802.11b routers and vice-versa.
An 802.11b or g compliant wireless card can be purchased at any store that sells computer supplies.
What is a firewall?
A firewall is a piece of software which prevents unauthorized access to your computer. It does this by inspecting packets and accepting only responses to requests originated by the user. Windows XP service pack 2 (SP2) has the firewall turned on by default. In XP SP1 you must enable the firewall.
What connection speed will I get?
SurfCFCC connection speed will be faster than a dial-up modem, but slower than wired Ethernet to an ISP (Internet Service Provider) such as RoadRunner.
The connection speed includes all data transfer, including administrative exchanges that take place between the wireless card and the access point. This slightly lowers your actual data transfer speed (i.e., email message or web page viewing).
Other factors that may affect the connection speed are
- power consumption mode of your wireless card (see battery life below)
- the number of SurfCFCC users connected to each access point.
- what other SurfCFCC users are doing – if someone is transferring large files the speed for all users will decrease
- other devices such as cordless phones or microwaves can cause interference
What kind of battery life can I expect?
This depends on your laptop and the power settings of your wireless card. Wireless cards have two power consumption modes: CAM (Constantly Awake Mode) and PSP (Power Saving Polling). CAM will give you a strong connection, however, it will also drain your battery.
PSP causes the wireless card to “sleep” periodically by turning off the radio signal. This is different than the laptop’s sleep mode and occurs while the card is in use. This will also extend battery life, but you should be aware of the possibility that you may be logged out due to inactivity. Upon logging back in you will be returned to the CFCC main page, not the page where you were so you could loose your work.. Consult your wireless documentation for setup information.
Can I use my PDA?
We do not support the use of PDAs at this time. You can try if you want to.
Can I use my Mac?
We do not support the use of Macs, however a Mac laptop with built-in AirPort wireless technology may work.
Why do I have to enable popups?
When you initially log in you will get a popup saying ‘Login Successful’ and on that popup screen is the Logout button. Without logging out you will have to wait for an inactivity timer to expire before you can log in from a different area.
Why did I have to log back into the wireless network again during lunch?
If you shutdown for more than ~10 minutes or move to a different coverage area, the login will expire and you will have to log back in. Upon logging back in you will be returned to the CFCC main page, not the page you were on so be sure to save your work.
There was no option to log out of the network and my ID was hung up for ~10 minutes, what’s with that?
You must Enable Popups for the logoff dialog box to be displayed. The dialog box is a popup.
What is my CFCC username?
Your CFCC username is the same Log In ID used for CampusCruiser, Blackboard, and WebAdvisor. If you don’t know your login ID, press the ? (question mark) next to the login prompt on the SurfCFCC login screen. Fill in the requested information and your login ID will be displayed. The information requested is Last Name, SSN or CFCC 7-digit ID Number. You can find your CFCC 7-digit ID on your Student ID Card or your class schedule sheet. If you are an employee, the ID will be on your payroll stub.
What is my password?
Press the ? next to the password prompt on the SurfCFCC login screen. Fill in the requested information and you will be able to set or reset your password yourself. The required information is Last Name, SSN, CFCC 7-digit ID Number, birthdate, zip code, and mother’s maiden name. You can find your CFCC 7-digit ID on your Student ID Card or your class schedule sheet. If you are an employee, the ID will be on your payroll stub. If this is the first time resetting your password, you can leave the “Mother’s Maiden Name” field blank. Otherwise, you will have to enter the same name you put in last time.
Who do I contact for support?
CFCC IT Services has developed all the support materials necessary for the wireless network. This website is the best resource for support. |
