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| Q: |
How much does it cost to use Wireless PennNet? |
| A: |
Wireless PennNet is currently a free service.
It may move to a technology fee or subscriber-based service in the
future depending upon usage patterns and funding
models.
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| Q: |
What kind of service can
I expect from Wireless PennNet? |
| A: |
A wired network connection will always
be more stable than a wireless one. Generally speaking, wired connections
offer more bandwidth per user. PennNet's average network connection
provides 10 mbps per user, while a Wireless PennNet connection offers
11 mbps to be shared by
all users connected to an individual Access Point. For more
information on wireless service reliability, you may want to review
this site's
How Wireless PennNet Works section.
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| Q: |
What is the difference between
wireless networks used in schools and centers
and public wireless areas like Houston Hall and University Square? |
| A: |
While any wireless network on Penn's campus
ultimately connects to PennNet, Wireless PennNet and AirPennNet in public areas are
currently the only wireless that are available to anyone with
a PennKey and
password.
In College Hourse and Sansom Place, AirPennNet provides wireless access to students using their PennKey and password.
Many schools and centers offer wireless service that limits usage
based on a locally maintained access list.
For example, you may need to register your wireless card's MAC address
(a unique twelve-character identifier) with your school prior to
gaining access to its wireless network for the first time. Check
with your school or center to learn about their eligibility rules,
connection procedures,
and access
policies
for
these locally-maintained
wireless
networks.
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| Q: |
Your configuration page lists instructions
for Windows and Mac OS. What about other platforms? |
| A: |
The University supports Windows and Mac
OS for desktop systems. Though it may be technically possible to use
the Wireless PennNet service from other platforms, no plans have been
made to include configuration instructions for other operating systems.
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| Q: |
I'm having trouble connecting. Who can I
turn to for help? |
| A: |
Several resources are available
if you are having a difficult time establishing your connection
to Wireless PennNet.
- Laptop users can consult the configuration
instructions for their wireless card and operating system to be sure
they've got everything configured correctly.
- You can read through the Troubleshooting FAQ on this web site to find
a solution to your connection problem.
- You can subscribe to
the wireless newsgroup
(upenn.tech-talk.wireless),
a valuable resource devoted to further discussion about experiences
with Wireless
PennNet and various laptop and handheld
wireless devices. To obtain configuration information for Penn's
supported netnews software, visit the "netnews" section
of the Supported Products web site.
- You can also contact your Local Support Provider (view Faculty or Staff LSP
list) or Information Technology Advisor (view Student ITA
list)
for additional support.
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| Q: |
Why does my laptop seem to freeze when I attempt to connect to Wireless PennNet after I've been connected to another wireless network? |
| A: |
When a laptop is brought into a new wireless
area, it may be necessary to make it release an old IP
address
provided by the
wireless
network you used previously. Once this has been done, your wireless device
will be free to acquire a new address from the local wireless network's
DHCP server.
To release an old IP address using Windows,
select Run from the Start menu and type cmd. At the cmd
window prompt, type ipconfig /release; then type ipconfig
/renew. For Macintosh
laptops, run through a sleep/wakeup cycle or reboot
the machine.
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| Q: |
My connection speed says
11 Mbps. Why is my data transfer rate slower? |
| A: |
The 802.11b wireless
standards specification allows for a theoretical maximum connection
speed of 11 Mbps. However, during wireless data transfer, administrative
data exchanges take place between the wireless card and the wireless network's Access
Point (AP) that can use up to 40% of
the raw connection speed.
Your connection speed is also affected by the number of people connected
to the AP. Your data transfer rate will drop as more people connect in a
specific location. The type of activity the people sharing your AP are engaged
in
can affect
your connection as well.
For example, large data transfers will significantly slow down the connection
for everyone. Your connection speed may also slow down as you move away
from an AP.
Other devices such as cordless phones or microwaves can cause interference
as well.
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| Q: |
My windows XP machine is telling me that my "computer has multiple
connections" to the network. Should I let it automatically configure my
network? |
| A: |
No, you should choose "Let me choose the connections to my network." By
default, Windows XP's Network Setup Wizard tries to "bridge"
(connect) multiple network connections together. Bridging network
devices is not appropriate on PennNet, and can cause network disruption
on your computer as well as others on PennNet. See Microsoft's
knowledge base article Q283429 for information about how to
complete the Network Setup Wizard without enabling bridging.
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