Network Access

Wired

Every bedroom should have at least one Ethernet port. If you plug into it and configure your computer to use DHCP, it should work right away.

Some rooms, due to human stupidity, don't have a wired port but they are slowly being re-wired. If it is important to you to have one, email the network manager hipnm@bsc.coop and you will get priority.

Wireless

There are two WiFi networks: "Mother of HiPpos" and "Fast Hippo". "Mother of HiPpos" is 2.4GHz 11N/B/G, meaning longer range but slower. "Fast Hippo" is 5GHz 11N/A/AC, meaning shorter range but faster. Use "Fast Hippo" unless the signal is weak. Access is password protected. If you don't know the password, just ask one of the other house residents, or find the password posted in the dining room. We're using the "WPA2-Personal" protocol for authentication and "AES" for encryption. You may need to enter those protocols names in order to connect.

Viruses & Malware

Windows computers that do not have the latest updates and are not running up-to-date anti-virus software may catch a virus within minutes of being connected to the internet. Macintosh and Linux machines are also vulnerable. They can make it impossible to use your computer and can also slow down or even crash the network for the whole house. Please run anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date. A free antivirus program that doesn't slow your computer down much is Avira Antivir. Berkeley students can also download other anti-virus software for free at [WWW] http://software.berkeley.edu/

Torrenting

Please avoid torrenting – our network provider has already threatened to terminate our service (08/2021).

***All questions regarding the network, server and house computers can be directed to hipnm@bsc.coop***