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'ns 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 XP Professional with Service Pack 3.
• 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:

Get Service Pack 3 for Windows XP

1. Click Start. Right-click My Computer, and select Properties.
2. Click the General tab, under System, it will say Microsoft Windows XP, followed by other data, including Service Pack 1, Service Pack 2, or Service Pack 3. If you do not see Service Pack 3, you must update to SP3 by going to http://update.microsoft.com/ and following the instructions. Note: Even if you already have SP3, it is still a good idea to get Windows updates.

Note: Learn why Boston College does not recommend Windows XP Home and how you can get a free upgrade.

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:

1. Click Start.
2. Right-click My Network Places and select Properties.
3. Right-click Wireless Network Connection and select Properties.
4. On the General 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 and install the drivers for your wireless card.
4. Right-click the Intel PROSet icon in the system tray at the bottom right of your screen:
5. If you can, select Use Windows to manage Wi-Fi from the drop-down list (see Figure 1). If that phrase does not appear in the list, you don't need to select anything.
   
   Figure 1.

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. Click Start.
5. Right-click My Network Places (in Classic view, right-click on the My Network Places icon on the Desktop), then select Properties (see Figure 1).
   
   Figure 1.
6. Under the heading LAN or High-Speed Internet you should see a Wireless Network icon (see Figure 2).
   
   Figure 2.
7. Right-click Wireless Network Connection and select View Available Wireless Networks (see Figure 3).
   Note: If View Available Wireless Networks does not appear in the list, select Enable from the drop-down list. Then right click Wireless Network Connection again and select View Available Wireless Networks.
   
   Figure 3.
8. Click BostonCollege, then click Connect (see Figure 4).
   
   Figure 4.
   
9. From the left column, click Change advanced settings (see Figure 5):
    
   Figure 5.
   
10. Select the Wireless Networks tab. Click to select the BostonCollege wireless service and use the Move Up button to move it to the top of the list. Click the Advanced button (see Figure 6).
    Figure 6.
    
11. Do the following (see Figure 7):
    • Select the Access point (infrastructure) networks only option.
    • Click Close.
      
      Figure 7.
12. On the Wireless Network Connection Properties window, click OK.

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 on the button for BC faculty, students, staff, and affiliates and follow the directions. Note the following:
   • Important: 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. (Note: Unix users only need to enter a new computer name on the Activation web page - not change the computer name on their computer.)
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