CONNECTING TO THE CAMPUS NETWORK
ESTABLISHING A COMPUTER SESSION
The Boston University Campus Network interconnects University computing systems and provides high-speed access to the Internet. There are two basic ways to access the Campus Network:
The Campus Network offers modem dial-in service at speeds comparable to those offered by commercial Internet Service Providers. To utilize these services, you must have a terminal with a modem, or a personal computer with a modem and communications software. If you are buying a modem, we recommend that you purchase a quality 56K modem that uses the industry-standard V.90 protocol. The Boston University Campus Network does not support the older X2 or K56Flex protocols, but many modem manufacturers offer downloadable software upgrades for older 56K modems that allow them to use the newer V.90 protocol--see New 56K PPP Dialup Service for more information or check with your modem manufacturer. Even without an update, X2 and K56Flex modems, as well as slower modems, will be able to connect to the Campus Network at speeds lower than 56K.
NOTE: The Campus Network supports two types of dial-in connections: 1) standard "line mode," used for text-only programs such as UNIX mail, Elm, or Lynx; and 2) PPP, used with packages which incorporate graphics, such as Eudora mail or the Netscape and Explorer Web browsers. PPP requires special software, available at the Office of Information Technology, to make a PPP connection to the campus network.
If you are dialing in from off campus or from an on-campus residence hall and will be using PPP, dial 617/378-1111. If you are dialing in from a local 353 or 358 exchange and will be using PPP, dial 617/353-9600.
Choose one of the following documents for detailed instructions on configuring your system to use Boston University's dialup PPP service. If you don't already have it, you'll need to get Adobe Acrobat Reader (a free download) to read or print them.
For Windows 95, 98, or NT 4.0, you can download an executable image (less than 1MB) for installing the BU Connection Manager dialup program and script. After you download this executable to your desktop, double-click on it to install the program and script, then follow these configuration instructions.
Methods vary for different versions of the Macintosh operating system; for more information or for help configuring any personal computer to use dialup PPP, please contact our Personal Computing Support Center at 617-353-7272 or pcsc@bu.edu .
The Boston University Internet CD is available for $5 at Information Technology's front office (111 Cummington Street, first floor). This CD contains the Connection Manager software for Windows, detailed information on configuring Macintoshes for dialup, and other software and documentation which may be of interest to you.
Once you are logged in to a PPP session, you can launch any network-based application such as a Web browser, e-mail client, or telnet program.
If you will be using line mode (not PPP), dial 617/378-5000. NOTE: Do not use this number from an on-campus office; if you will be dialing in from an on-campus office and use line mode, dial 3-9600 instead.
Data bits 8
Parity No or off
Stop bits 1
Echo No or off
Next, you will connect to the computer which will host your session. See ESTABLISHING A COMPUTER SESSION .
Some faculty/staff offices and a growing number of residence rooms have direct Ethernet access to the Campus Network.
With a personal computer equipped with an Ethernet card (see www.bu.edu/resnet for Ethernet card specs) and the appropriate cable you can run any network-based application. When configured correctly, Campus Network access is automatic--there is no need to connect to PPP or another service before launching an application.
OIT's Residential Network Services group assists residential customers in getting their computers on the Internet via the Campus Network. See their Web site at www.bu.edu/resnet or send mail to resnet@bu.edu for help or information.
Campus Network access is available at two public-access terminal clusters. In addition, some schools and colleges provide network access for their students in computer labs around campus. Facilities may vary; two of the most common are described below.
There are currently two types of terminals in the public-access terminal sites at 111 Cummington Street and Mugar Memorial Library: X terminals and VT220 "line mode" terminals. The X terminals utilize the X Window System and Motif to provide a graphical user interface to UNIX. VT220s are simpler, text-based terminals. How you connect is determined by the type of terminal you are using.
X terminals can be identified by the attached "mouse." These terminals should ordinarily display a host menu of selected machines, including the ACS cluster and a number of other systems. Double-click on the appropriate entry to connect to that system and display the login window. When the login window is displayed, you can sign on. Use the same BU login name and password which you chose when you ran the NEW program. (If a login window for some other machine is displayed instead of the host menu, press <Ctrl C> [press and hold the key marked Ctrl, then press the C key]. The host menu should be displayed. If not, see a consultant at the Help Desk.)
VT220 terminals (the smaller, beige-colored terminals -- no mouse) should ordinarily display a short prompt such as buxx:. Type telnet machine-name (substitute the system name) to initiate your connection and display the login prompt. When the login prompt is displayed, you can sign on.
Once connected to the Campus Network, you can access ACS (Academic Computing System, the Office of Information Technology's UNIX cluster), the Boston University libraries online catalogue, or any system on which you have an account. To start a line mode session, follow the instructions below.
At the network prompt type one of the commands shown below, followed by the desired hostname, and press the <ENTER> key. If you are unsure which command to use after you have obtained the Campus Network prompt, simply enter a question mark. A list of supported commands will be displayed.
telnet hostname Used when dialed in from outside the Campus Network, from the VT220 terminals in the public clusters at 111 Cummington Street and at Mugar Memorial Library, and fro m stations in some academic departments.
rlogin hostname Similar to telnet, but preferred when connecting to a UNIX host. NOTE: cannot be used to connect to ACS.
When you reach the login prompt, you are ready to sign on; See LOGGING ON.
Logging on to a host usually takes three steps:
Account names and passwords are created when you receive your account. Terminal types depend on the terminal (or terminal emulation) you use to access your account on the host computer.