Information for Laptop Users
Who This Information Is For
The laptop connectivity information on this page is for Psychology undergraduate and graduate students. It is not relevant to faculty. Non-psychology students may not use the Psychology computer lab.
To connect to the Internet in the Psychology Computer Lab, follow these steps.
1. Make sure you have the appropriate physical connection on your laptop
You must have an ethernet jack connection on your laptop into which a network cable can be plugged. The connector looks like a phone jack but is slightly larger. Some laptops have the network connector built in. Otherwise, you need to purchase a network card (also called a PCMIA card) that plugs into your laptop's PCMIA slot.
2. Register your computer
All computers and network devices at Florida Tech must be registered with the Information Technology system in order to connect to the internet. Unregistered computers are not able to connect. You can register your computer online using another on-campus computer (such as a computer in the lab). By "your computer," we are actually referring to the network (ethernet) card or device in your computer, which may or may not be a permanent part of the computer. If you use a PCMIA card, you are actually registering the card, not the computer.
To register the computer:
a. Find the MAC address. A MAC address is a unique code that identifies every ethernet device, also termed "hardware address." The MAC address looks like: 00:0b:4d:dd:1e. (MAC stands for Medium Access Control, not a type of reliable computer).
In Mac OS X, run the System Preferences control panel, click on Network, click on the TCP/IP tab, and look for Ethernet Address near the bottom of the panel.
In Windows, see http://www.fit.edu/networks/ip/macinfo.php
b. On the other computer, go to this web site: http://www.fit.edu/networks/ip/stureg.php
c. Log in using your TRACKS account
d. Pretend you are registering a wireless connection. Otherwise (unless you live on campus), you will not be allowed to register.
e. Follow the directions, at some point typing in your MAC address.
The computer at the other end that takes your registration runs the actual registration procedure every 15 minutes, so you may need to wait as long as this for it to take.
3. Configure your internet connection for DHCP
DHCP is a connection technology that allows the campus internet system to dynamically give your computer the information it needs to make a connection each time you connect. Cable modems in Brevard County use the same technology. DHCP is to ethernet connections as PPP is to dial-up connections. If you move your laptop across DHCP and non-DHCP internet connections, you may need to set up multiple connections (not explained here).
In Mac OS X, run the System Preferences control panel, click on Network, click on the TCP/IP tab, and select "Using DHCP" in the Configure pop-up menu.
In Windows XP, find the network control panel and choose "Create a new connection." In the wizard: choose "Connect to the Internet" then "Set up my connection manually" then "Connect using a broadband connection that is always on."
4. Plug in your laptop in the Psychology computer lab
Find an available internet cable in the lab and plug it into your laptop. Do not use a cable that is already connected to another computer.
5. Where else you can connect in the Psychology building
Every room in the Psychology building has at least one internet port, including the lunch room, multipurpose room (2 ports), classrooms (1 port for multimedia station, 1 free), and conference room. However, you may need to bring in your own internet cable to use these ports. The type of cable is called "Cat-5". The least expensive place to buy such cables is BITS Computers on New Haven next to Wild Oats food store.
Wireless in Psychology
The Psychology building is fully wireless. The wireless transceiver in your laptop (if you have one) is a separate internet device with its own MAC address, which will be different than the wired device. You must register the wireless MAC address in order to use this service.
Technical Support
If you have problems with Mac OS X connectivity, please consult Dr. Gabrenya. For problems with Windows connectivity, please call the Help Desk. For lab-related problems outside of laptop hardware/software, please contact Dr. Gabrenya or the main office secretaries.
For general information about computers in Psychology, click here.