Knowledge Base

Get answers when you need them most

User Tools

Site Tools


students:network

This is an old revision of the document!


Networking

Residential students have a number of options for connecting their devices to the campus-wide network and gaining access to both MLC-offered services and the greater Internet. Depending on your room, and the device you wish to connect, the steps you follow to gain access will be slightly different. You can find a variety of topics, information, and instructions here to help you but ultimately, if you have questions or issues, you can contact Network Services for help.

Connecting

Wireless

Martin Luther College currently offers access to three wireless networks throughout campus including (starting Fall 2018) in dorms rooms around campus. Two of these networks are applicable to students. Click on the links below to find out how to connect to each network.

  • MLC Guest WLAN
  • MLC Student WLAN

For information on which network to choose, check below based on the type of device you are connecting with.

Wired

While wireless routers are now prohibited in the dorms, wired connections are still supplied for those instances where it makes sense to connect a device using an Ethernet connection. How you will go around connecting is dependent on how your room is setup.

To utilize the wired connections it is recommended to use a device that has access to a web browser as registration takes place using a webpage. If you have need to connect a device without a web browser to a wired port, please contact Network Services.

Wireless Access Points

If your room has one of our wireless access points installed, you will find two Ethernet ports available for your use either on the bottom or the top (depending on the orientation of the device). You are free to connect your device to either of these ports and it will, initially, connect you to the MLG Guest Network. Here you can register your device and have basic access to the Internet and other MLC services.

However, after you have registered your device, you will need to contact Network Services to have your port switched to the MLC Student Network. Please include the following information:

  • Your Name
  • Dorm Name
  • Room Number
  • Port Connected (either DATA or PoE OUT + DATA)

Standard Ethernet Ports

These ports will switch to the proper network depending on if your device is registered or not. The switching can sometimes take a few minutes. After you have successfully registered your device on the MLC Guest Network, your port will switch to the MLC Student Network within a few minutes.

Devices

Some devices have specific requirements and will work better than others on certain networks. The following section will outline some of the issues to keep in mind when it comes to using your devices on campus.

Laptops/Phones/Tablets/Desktops

These are, perhaps, the easiest devices to support on campus. The main issue to remember is that you will need to connect to the MLC Guest WLAN first before moving to the MLC Student WLAN. Successful registration on the MLC Guest WLAN will last for 7 days while the MLC Student WLAN registration will last for nearly a half-year.

If you are having issues connecting, it is often useful to forget the network and then try connecting again. Changing your MLC Account password will cause connection issues as well.

Gaming Consoles

Most gaming consoles do not support WPA2 Enterprise authentication, which is required to connect to the MLC Student WLAN. As such, you can attempt to use the MLC Guest WLAN for access (if you have a web browser in order to register) or to connect via a wired connection and register that way. You will have a much better experience using a gaming console connected to a wired connection and registered on the MLC Network.

If your console does not have access to a web browser, then you will need to contact Network Services with the following information so that the console can be registered successfully:

  • Name
  • Dorm Name
  • Room Number
  • Type of Connection (either wired or wireless; if wired, which port you are connected to if connect to an access point)
  • Console MAC Address (for either the wired or wireless adapter)
  • Console Type

Your device be registered, and your port switched (if connected to an access point) during the next business day.

We cannot guarantee each and every game/game console will be able to be successfully played/used here on campus. We will make our best effort to get things to work, but as this is a campus instead of a single home, some things cannot be supported.

Streaming/Smart/Internet of Things Devices

Streaming devices, most of which do not support the needed encryption to log into the MLC Student WLAN. As such, the streaming devices (Amazon Echo, Google Home, Chromecasts, Apple TV, Apple HomePod, Roku, etc.) will need to be registered in order to connect to the MLC Guest WLAN since the devices normally have no web browser or even a screen.

As such, you will need to contact Network Services with the following information so that the console can be registered successfully:

  • Name
  • Dorm Name
  • Room Number
  • Type of Connection (either wired or wireless; if wired, which port you are connected to if connect to an access point)
  • Device MAC Address (for the wireless adapter)
  • Device Type

You can connect to a wired connection as well, just include your wired MAC address.

Some features of these devices require you to be on the same network as the devices you are using or controlling. If you have specific needs, please contact Network Services and work with the staff there.

Internet of Things

Frequently Asked Questions

students/network.1533662832.txt.gz · Last modified: 2018/08/07 17:27 by Martens, Robert L