Connecting
to the BC Network with Windows Vista
Wired Access for On-Campus Offices and Residence Hall Rooms
What you need to connect to the BC Wired Network
Plug your computer into the BC network using an Ethernet cable:
- Plug one end of the Ethernet cable into the Ethernet jack on
your computer (see Figure 1):
- An Ethernet cable looks similar to a phone cable, but the ends are
wider. If you do not have an Ethernet cable they are available for $5.95 at
the
BC
Bookstore.
- The Ethernet jack looks like a large phone jack and
is usually on the back of your computer.

Figure 1.
- Find the wall jack in your office, lab, or residence hall room. Plug the
other end of the Ethernet cable into the network jack which is below the
picture of a computer
(see Figure 2).
- Once you activate your computer in one network jack, you will
be able to access the network from any network jack on campus.

Figure 2.
| Step
2: |
Configure and enable the wired network connection |
To configure and enable the wired network connection:
- Click the Start button and select Control Panel.
Note: Click the Classic View link if displayed
in the left pane of the Control panel (see Figure 3).
Figure 3.
- Double-click on the Network and Sharing Center icon.

- Under Tasks in the left view pane, select Manage
network connections (see Figure 4).

Figure 4.
- If there is a Wireless Network Connection icon, right-click
it and select Disable (see Figure 5).

Figure 5.
| Step
3: |
Activate your computer for wired access |
To activate your computer on the BC network, do the following:
- Open your Web browser and go to:
https://activate.bc.edu (see
Figure 6)

Figure 6.
- Click the button for BC faculty, students, staff, and affiliates and follow the instructions. Note the
following:
- Windows computer users
are required to download
& install ePO, a required piece of Anti-Virus protection.
- If you get a message prompting you to change the name of your computer,
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 Activation web page to change
your computer name.
- 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.
Related Help Link
Connecting to network printers, servers, and other BC services
Connecting to the Internet using wireless on your laptop
Need more help?
- Contact the Help Center: 552-HELP (2-HELP from on-campus), help.center@bc.edu,
or www.bc.edu/gethelp.
- Students: You can also visit the walk-in Help Center in O'Neill 248
next to the Campus Technology Resource Center (
CTRC).
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