Important:

• "BostonCollege" is not a secure wireless network, but is an alternative for older laptops that do not meet the requirements for "bcsecure."
• If you plan to use your laptop's wired (Ethernet) interface for network access, we strongly recommend that you configure and activate the wired network interface first. Learn how to connect to the Internet from a residence hall, office, or other wired location.

Requirements:

• Windows Vista users: Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise version
• Windows 7 users: Professional, Ultimate, or Enterprise version
• When are Windows "Home" versions not recommended at BC?
• Your computer must have a wireless card.
• Update the drivers for the wireless card in your laptop.
• To activate your laptop's wireless access, you must be in an area of the BC campus with wireless service.

Part 1

Update your laptop to meet wireless requirements:

Update wireless card drivers for security and performance

Wireless network cards, even those in new laptops, require updates to the driver to work correctly and provide the best and most secure wireless network service.

To find out which kind of wireless card you have:

Windows Vista Users:

1. Click Start.
2. Right-click Network and select Properties.
3. In the left column, click Manage wireless networks.
4. Click Adapter properties.
5. On the Networking tab, the wireless card name is listed under the Connect using heading.

1. Click Start.
2. Click Control Panel.
3. Select Network and Sharing Center.
4. In the left column, click Manage wireless networks.
5. Click Adapter properties.
6. On the Networking tab, the wireless card name is listed under the Connect using heading.

Dell laptops purchased through Boston College

To update the wireless card driver:

1. Go to Intel's download page: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Default.aspx?iid=business+dc_all#
2. On the left menu, click Wireless, then click WiFi Products, then click the wireless driver you have.
3. Follow the instructions on the page to download & install the drivers for your wireless card.

Other laptops

To update the wireless card driver, go to the manufacturer's website to download and install the latest wireless card driver.

Part 2

To configure and enable the wireless network connection:

1. If you have an Ethernet cable plugged into your computer, unplug it.
2. If your laptop has a physical on/off switch, make sure that your wireless card is switched on and active.
3. Make sure you are currently in an area of the BC campus with wireless network service.
4. Windows Vista users (Windows 7 users skip to Step 5): Click Start, then select Connect To (see Figure 1).
   
   Figure 1.
   
5. Windows 7 users: Click Start, then select Control Panel. Select Network and Sharing Center and select Connect to a network.
6. Select BostonCollege, then click Connect (see Figure 2).
    
   Figure 2.
   
7. When the window saying, "Successfully connected to BostonCollege," appears, make sure the options “Save this network” and “Start this connection automatically” are checked before clicking Close.

Part 3

You MUST activate your computer for wireless network access (even if you have already activated your computer for wired network access).

To activate your computer for wireless network access at BC:

1. Open your web browser and go to: https://activate.bc.edu.
   
2. For BC faculty, students, staff and affiliates (visitors skip to step 4):
   Click the button for BC faculty, students, staff, and affiliates and follow the directions.
   Note the following:
   • If you have a Windows computer, you will be required to download & install ePO.
   • If you get a message prompting you to change your computer name, another computer on the network already has the name you chose. There cannot be more than one computer on the network with the same computer name. Follow the instructions provided on the web page to change your computer name.
3. Restart your computer after activating. There may be a short time delay after you activate before you can access your BC email and the web.
4. Click Visitors, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete activation.
   All visitor access ends at 6:00 AM daily. To regain access to the Internet, you must repeat the activation process by going to activate.bc.edu using a web browser. Visitor Network Access provides access to the following services:
   1. Web browsing (including secure sites)
   2. Web email
   3. FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
   4. VPN (Virtual Private Network)
   5. SSH (Secure Shell)
   6. NTP (Network Time Protocol)

Related Help Links

• Learn more about the BC wireless network, such as what areas of campus are wireless and how the wireless network works.
• Connecting to the Internet from a residence hall, office, or other wired location