<p>I was curious how much LU students bring laptopns, and how they configure their laptops in their dorm rooms:</p>
<p>Wired through a mini hub - which I understand is provided by LU - or do students bring their own wireless routers? If the latter, do other students in the resultant surrounding 'hot' area use the wireless signal?</p>
<p>Since wireless routers apparently can be brought by students at their own discretion, what happens in a dorm where there might be many wireless routers near each other? Sounds like it might be confusing.</p>
<p>Or do students use both - sometimes using the wire, sometimes using a wireless connection.</p>
<p>Do most bring a laptop, or do most avail themselves of the desktops which are around the campus (where are they, the library, each dorm?)?</p>
<p>You don't really need your own computer, as Lawrence has a lot of 24 hour computer labs, but most people I know have their own laptops. Some students use the labs for their schoolwork only, because they find working on their laptops too distracting. There's a 24-hour lab in each dorm, but not in the houses. There's a lab in the library, one in Main Hall, several in Briggs, Science and Youngchild. There are a few in Wriston, the art building, but you have to get access to them. </p>
<p>Most of the campus is wireless, except the dorms. Only the lounges in the dorms have wireless, so if you're close to a lounge it's easy to get wireless. Otherwise you'll have to bring your own router. Lawrence requires that students use encryption on their wireless networks--at least WEP but preferably WPA, as it's more secure. Most students change their wireless network's name, so it's not too confusing. Other students aren't supposed to use your room's wireless--if they're doing naughty things on the 'net, you don't want to be blamed for it.</p>
<p>ITS has brochures on how wireless networks should be set up on the Lawrence network, because if you do it wrong it won't work. They have online instructions somewhere as well. They'll even configure routers for you. As for the routers being close together, since dorm rooms aren't that big the networks don't interfere too much. They don't get as much range, but that doesn't really matter in this context.</p>
<p>A lot of students don't care if they have wireless in their rooms and just use the minihubs--they're cheap, easy to set up and they work well. </p>
<p>I used both wired and wireless, but I'm a bit of a geek. Wired is usually faster, so if I was downloading a big file I'd switch. (Another random speed thing that's funny at Lawrence: downloading things on Linux is about twice as fast, as the network does funny things with Windows.)</p>
<p>I hope that helps and that it wasn't too incoherent. I'm trying to quit coffee.</p>
<p>thanks a lot dys. Great reply. Do you have a sense of how widespread is the use of firefox? I did see the tech support (ITS) page on wireless, but I wanted to get the student eye view.</p>
<p>Most people I know use Firefox--ITS actually has a check box on their forms when students bring in computers, asking if they want Firefox installed. (Note: I have computer geek friends, so this may not be representative).</p>