<p>does anybody know what internet at caltech is like?</p>
<p>like, how fast is it?
does the entire campus have wireless access?
do the dorm rooms have high speed internet prewired?</p>
<p>also, do they allow students to host their own webservers through the campus internet or do they block most of the ports?</p>
<p>i'm curious because i currently have a webserver that i run and i want to know if it is possible for me to bring it with me to caltech</p>
<p>actually we have no internet.</p>
<p>:-p</p>
<p>the connection on campus is very fast -- T3 or better. all dorm rooms have access provided. wireless is available in many lecture halls and many popular spots outside.</p>
<p>students can easily get permission to host a server and on their own subdomain -- e.g. iamamonkey.caltech.edu</p>
<p>haha.. i am a monkey..</p>
<p>and I thought you guys were nerds. :D</p>
<p>Hope to see you around before month ending Ben!</p>
<p>can you host on something that isn't a subdomain?</p>
<p>like, i own several domain names so can i host those or do i have to use a caltech subdomain?</p>
<p>and, i can use my own server hardware right?</p>
<p>you can host from wherever you want and use your own hardware :-)</p>
<p>omg, that is SOOO awesome!</p>
<p>that's like exactly what i need!!</p>
<p>two more quick questions</p>
<p>1) does the school block any internet ports?</p>
<p>2) do we get static ip's?</p>
<p>these two questions are a little bit more technical, but if anybody can answer them for me, it would be great</p>
<p>2) static ip's definitely yes
1) don't know. someone who knows more than i do should say. i've never heard of it being a problem. the caltech philosophy is that the lawyers and administrators will try hard to make it possible for you to do what you want scientifically, and will try to arrange a workaround if something from the outside is a problem.</p>
<p>anybody know specifically about port blocking?</p>
<p>I've heard that if lawyers contact General Counsel about copyright infringement or some such, your MAC address will be banned until you talk with one of the Deans. I'm not sure about port blocking, though.</p>
<p>IMSS generally is a very student-friendly (and employs quite a few students) office. Furthermore, UGCS provides additional opportunities to put up a server and customize it as you will, and in addition, it is entirely student-run.</p>
<p>well, the ports i'm looking for aren't like any p2p ports or anything of that sort, just your standard server ports for http, database, mail, etc, nothing illegal</p>
<p>On another note somewhat related to servers and the internet, is there a preferred OS at Caltech? What is the breakdown of Windows/Mac OS/Linux users? I have a powerbook running OS X right now, and I'll definitely be bringing it with me to Caltech, but I'm debating whether or not I should also bring a desktop with Linux on it.</p>
<p>-Oren</p>
<p>my server is windows running apache</p>
<p>my laptop is dualboot windows and linux</p>
<p>i plan on bringing both to caltech</p>
<p>same laptop here :)</p>
<p>oh, btw, what kind of wireless is there no campus? a,b,g?
Should I buy a WiFi card in advance, or can I find one there?</p>
<p>For OS's: I'd guess it's about half Windows, a quarter Mac and a quarter Linux. But I'm just pulling those numbers out of thin air. The point is, it doesn't really matter what OS you bring, because you're the one that's going to be using it. Bring whatever you want.</p>
<p>How is the phone service in dorms? Each gets a phone number or share one in one dorm? Is there WiFi wireless access for laptop use in the dorms? In addtion to the question on the ports for http, database, mail, etc. in the dorms, how about VPN, port 5060 and some special ports for video games? Blocked or allowed to use?</p>
<p>cc1, I didn't know that anyone used land lines anymore, but the concrete walls generally means sometimes you'll have to lean out the window/go outside for cell phone reception.</p>
<p>Games work fine as far as I can tell. I don't know about other dorms, but ours has wireless (we're in the mods), and I think you're welcome to set up your own wireless router if you safeguard it properly. There is also wireless access in lecture halls. They might have made some changes, but I'm pretty sure there was the option of getting a Caltech extension for a small fee (free for local area codes including 626, 310, the LA one, and maybe Long beach). There are also public phones. I we get free phone service in the mods.</p>
<p>You can get a phone line in your room for an additional charge -- I don't know of anyone who does so. There are free landlines scattered throughout -- about 6 per house. Most people use cell phones and reception is so so.</p>
<p>The mods and places on campus have wireless, as will the south hovses (I think). In the north houses students have set up their own wifi routers (many of which are unprotected) and coverage is pretty universal.</p>
<p>just curious, do the dorm rooms have AC/heating?</p>
<p>The south hovses will when they're done. The mods do now. The north houses don't, but many/most people have mounted window AC units. Avery does. I'm not sure about off campus - probably varies.</p>
<p>what is this mod that everybody keeps referring to?</p>