• Acceptable Use
• Campus Downloading Video
• Passwords
• Wireless Connectivity

Connecting to BCInternet

According to Bryan College Operations Policy, Information Technology Services personnel are prohibited while on duty from working on equipment not owned and maintained by Bryan College.

DISCLAIMER: BCInternet is provided "as is" without any technical support or liability from the Bryan College Information Technology Services. Bryan College is not responsible for any damage that could happen to your computer hardware or software. Neither is Bryan College responsible for any inappropriate or illegal information transactions made through BCInternet. Please refer to the Acceptable Use Policy found in your student handbook for appropriate uses of Bryan College technology resources.

Technical Note:

BCInternet utilizes Dynamic Host Control Protocol, or DHCP, to assign IP addresses to computers. If your operating system is not described in this manual you should configure your NIC to use DHCP. You'll know that you've gotten a valid IP address if it is in the following range: 10.10.1xx.xxx

---

What is BCInternet?

BCInternet is provided by Information Technology Services of Bryan College for students, faculty, and staff to access the Internet through wireless connections by using their personal computers. BCInternet provides filtered web access as well as most other commonly used Internet applications* (i.e. instant messaging, webmail, client-side file transfer, etc.). BCInternet is not an extension of BryanNet, but rather an additional service provided by Information Technology Services. While BryanNet Webmail (Faculty and Staff) and Student Webmail (Students) can be accessed through BCInternet, access to one's home files and other BryanNet resources is not supported.

*Not all Internet applications are supported.  Uses which consume a disproportionately large amount of bandwidth such as video conferencing, voice chat, peer-to-peer filesharing, excessively large file downloads (ISO images, movies, etc.) are discouraged, if not prohibited.

---

Where can I connect my computer to BCInternet?

BCInternet is available in the Bryan College Library, Gym, Student Life Center, and all on-campus dormitory facilities.

You must have a wireless network interface card (PC Card, PCI card, or USB adapter) compatible with 2.4GHz 802.11b (11 Mbps) installed on your computer for wireless access. You may purchase a wireless network interface card at any electronics or office supply store. Neither the Bookstore nor Information Technology Services will be selling these cards Only portable computers (i.e. notebooks, laptops, PDA's, etc.) may be used in the Library facilities to access BCInternet but you may use your personal desktop or portable computer in your room.

---

How do I connect my computer to BCInternet?

BCInternet is designed to require minimal to zero configuration to access the Internet.  Computers equipped with wireless network cards typically detect the wireless network automatically. If you wish to connect to BCInternet, enable your wireless network card, connect to the available network (an additional step may be required in some operating systems in order to connect to a non-secure network--see below), register your wireless device, follow the on-screen instructions, and you should be able to access the Internet. If this plug-and-play method does not work for your computer:

Select the wireless network with the strongest signal.  Bryan College wireless access points are named **** WiFi (Where **** denotes the name of the building or area currently located).

If prompted, select Infrastructure Mode (as opposed to "Ad Hoc" mode).

Launch your web browser and you should be taken to a registration page if this is the first time you have connected to the wireless network.  IT Services will occassionally reset the list of registered devices, so once or twice a year, you may need to re-register your wireless device.  Use your regular BryanNET username and password to authenticate.
 

---

How to Configure Your Network Settings

Before jumping into configuring your network settings you must determine which version of Microsoft Windows your have installed on your computer. Typically computers purchased since 2009 will have Microsoft Windows 7. If purchased before 2009 but after 2007, those computers generally come with Windows Vista loaded. If you bought your computer before 2007, you probably have Windows XP. In order to verify which OS you may have, you can right-click on the "My Computer" icon on the desktop or "Computer" in the start meny and left-click on "Properties". The "General" tab will display your version of Windows. Now that you have determined the version of Windows you are using, now you can configure your network settings.

Windows XP Network Settings:

When you insert your wireless network card or boot up in the presence of BCInternet for the first time, you should see a pop-up bubble in the lower right-hand corner of your display:

Click in the bubble as directed and you should see the following:

You must check the box next to "Allow me to connect to the selected wireless network, even though it is not secure" and click "Connect" (XP does not enable wireless communication without WEP by default). It is important that you understand that unencyrpted wireless network traffic is susceptible to "eavesdropping."  You should now be connected and able to use the Internet. Variations in signal strength and dropped connections may affect your ability to send and receive data over the network.  To avoid dropped connections due to hopping between access points, IT Services recommends that you connect only to the access point that has the best signal strength in your location.  Note that differences in wireless card manufacturers and installation (integrated vs. PC/PCI card vs. external antenna) may also contribute to variations in signal strength even at the same location.

To verify or configure your network settings you will need to open the "Control Panel." Click "Start" then "Control Panel."

Next click on the "Network Connections" icon.

Now select (by left-clicking) the icon "Local Area Connection" or "Wireless Connection." Then you can configure the settings for that device by clicking on the "Change settings of this connection" as show below (alternatively, you may right-click on the connection icon and select Properties from the pop-up menu).

Next select "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" and click the "Properties" button.

When the "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" properties windows appears, select "Obtain an IP address automatically" and "Obtain DNS server address automatically" as shown below:

Click "OK" and click "OK" for the previous window to close back out to the "Network Connections" window. Then you can close the "Network Connections" window.

At this point open your web browser (i.e. double-click on Internet Explorer) and try to browse to a website like www.google.com. If you can browse the web then you have successfully connected to BCInternet and no further configuration is necessary.

---

Troubleshooting:

If you are still having difficulty accessing BCInternet after going through the necessary procedures above, you may need to renew your network settings. To renew your settings on Windows XP simply press "Start" then "Run" and type "ipconfig /renew" (without the quotes) and click "OK."

At this point open your web browser (i.e. double-click on Internet Explorer) and try to browse to a website like www.google.com. If you can browse the web, then you have successfully connected to BCInternet and no further configuration is necessary.

If none of these solutions work:

• Check with people near your location who use the wireless network to see whether they are having trouble or not
• Try relocating your computer for a better signal
• If there is a general or widespread inability to use the wireless network, contact the HelpDesk at 423.775.7333
• Contact the hardware vendor for your computer and/or your network card