Need a cable?
A 10BaseT Ethernet cable is required to connect your computer to the wired (Ethernet) campus network. Cables are available from most computer stores.
On the Medical Campus?
Please see Connecting to the BUMC Network & Internet.
DNS Values
It’s likely that your computer will discover BU’s Ethernet settings automatically once you are connected.
However, sometimes people do need to enter them manually, in which case BU’s DNS values are:
128.197.253.183
128.197.253.120
128.197.253.254
If possible, narrow down the problem to your computer vs. your connection.
If at all possible, try to narrow down the problem by (a) testing your computer with a different network jack or connection to see if the problem still exists or (b) testing another computer with your connection jack and/or cable. Information from that testing will determine how best to troubleshoot.
Do not auto-detect the network speed.
The BU Residential Network (ResNet) uses a network speed of 10Mbps. While you are on ResNet, you may have connection problems if you set your Ethernet card to auto-detect the speed.
What happens
A network connection in a BU residence might seem to “hang” every few minutes, for anywhere from 10 to 40 seconds.
Why it happens
This problem can occur when an Ethernet card is set to auto-detect the network speed. In BU residences, the network speed is 10Mbps. A card that is set to auto-detect will connect at 10Mbps, but then every few minutes it will check to see if there is a faster connection. When the card tries to go back to 10Mbps after this check, a negotiation glitch may occur, causing the connection to “hang.” XP systems may be particularly affected by this problem.
How to fix the problem
Set your Ethernet card to 10Mbps Half Duplex when using BU ResNet.
1. In Windows XP, go to Start->Control Panel->Network->Local Area Network. In Windows 7, right-click on the Network icon (computer shown with globe or cable in the lower-right corner), select Network and Sharing Center and then click Local Area Connection next to your network..
2. Click Properties.
3. See your card name. Click next to the card name, on Configure.
4. After you click Configure, THEN click on the Advanced tab. You will see a heading on the left, “Property” and a list on the right, “Value.”
5. The properties may have obscure names. Find the one that controls connection speed.
On many cards it may be called Media Type. On other Ethernet cards, the property may be called External PHY or Speed & Duplex.
6. Set the value for this property to 10Mbps Half Duplex.
7. Click OK or Close until you are back to your Desktop. It may be a good idea to restart your computer to make sure the new card settings are in effect.
Firewall Interference
Are you running a firewall? Try updating it with a built-in updater, or failing that, download a patch from the manufacturer’s website. If that doesn’t work, disable the firewall to see if that resolves the problem.
Spyware
Could you have a problem with spyware? Please make sure that you have scanned and protected your computer as described on our Spyware page.
Viruses
Could you have a virus? Please make sure that you have scanned and protected your computer as described on our Virus Protection page.