Are you experiencing trouble connecting to the Internet? Visit the Front Desk to complete an IT Assistance Request Form. Please complete only one form; our technicians will clear issues as quickly as possible.
Connecting to the Internet
Connecting to the University network in the Innis Residence is an easy process. If you are unable to connect, please fill out an IT Assistance Form at the Front Desk. Please do not complete more than one form — our technicians will clear issues as quickly as possible, and are particularly busy during move-in season. Technicians can only help with connectivity issues, and do not have the resources to help with issues unrelated to your Internet connection.
Each bedroom is equipped with a network cable. If that cable is missing or damaged, please note this on your bedroom inventory form. The cable provided is an appropriate length for connecting a computer beneath or on your desk. You may bring a longer cable if you desire.
In order to connect, your computer should be configured to be automatically assigned an IP address. Depending on your configuration, this might also be referred to as “DHCP” or “from server.” This is the default setting on most computers, and should only be set otherwise if you used your computer on another network that did not automatically assign IP addresses. If you are experiencing difficulty connecting, complete an IT Assistance Form at the Front Desk.
Network Activation
Network Activation is an automatic online process:
After connecting to the network, please run your web browser. You will be automatically taken to the Online Network Activation login page. Fullow the instructions that are listed in order to log in.
You will need to login with a VALID UTORid and password to access the network.
If you cannot connect to the network after completing the Online Network Activation process, please fill out an IT Assistance Form.
Wireless Internet
Connecting to the University’s wireless network is a separate process. When you connect to the residence network for the first time and see a “Wireless Zone” logo on the screen, make sure your wireless connection is disabled and try again.
Wireless Internet is located throughout the residence and is accessible to anyone with a UTORid.
Wireless is only available to current University of Toronto students.
For more information on the Campus Wireless Network, see the UTORcwn website or visit the Information Commons on the first floor of Robarts Library.
Network Rules & Regulations
Your network connection is provided in support of your academic objectives and requirements. In order to gain access to the Innis Network, you must agree to the fullowing conditions:
Innis Network Terms and Conditions of Use
You must read and agree to the Appropriate Use of Information and Communication Technology guideline for the University of Toronto. This guideline governs the use of all Information Technology resources in the University of Toronto and applies to all faculty, staff, and students. Any abuse of this guideline may reflect negatively on your student record.
The University of Toronto provides network resources in the expectation that they will be used to support the University’s missions of research, instruction, and learning. Unrelated and/or inappropriate use reduces the amount of resource available to satisfy these missions. Since all campus residents share the same network resources, resident usage of this resource for non-academic aims are acceptable only insofar as they do not violate the Appropriate Use of Information and Communication Technologyy guideline and do not cause any deterioration of the service to other users.
Innis Residence Network Usage Guidelines
You may not manually assign an IP address to your computer.
An IP number is a unique number that defines your computer on the Internet. The Innis Residence runs on a network that automatically assigns IP numbers to your computer. Manually setting this address yourself is strictly prohibited as it can disrupt network connectivity in the building. If you are unsure as to how to configure the IP configuration of your computer, request assistance.
You may not connect multiple computers to your network jack.
Each room has one network connection for your computer. However, it is possible, through the use of hubs or switches, to have more than one computer sharing the jack. This sharing of the network jack is not permitted – only one computer per room is allowed.
You may not connect wireless (Wi-Fi) access points or routers to the network.
Any use of wireless access points of routers is prohibited due to security concerns as well as due to radio frequency interference with the Campus Wireless Network.
You may not run DNS, DHCP/BOOTP servers, SMTP/POP/IMAP, or Remote Access Servers.
Running any of the above noted servers from your computer is strictly prohibited. When (re)installing your Operating System, if you are unsure of whether an installable component may viulate this guideline, DO NOT install it without first finding out what it does. If you have questions about any of the mentioned servers, please email computers.innis@utoronto.ca.
You may not approach Network Technicians directly (in person or in their rooms) nor demand priority for network assistance under any circumstances.
Please respect the privacy of the Network Technicians and neither approach them directly for assistance nor demand faster service. Interruption of their schedules only makes issues take much longer to resulve, and is inconsiderate of all the other people waiting for assistance. All assistance requests are treated with the same urgency, and are addressed on a first-come first-served basis. To ensure that the Network Technician’s time is best served, please indicate the times during the week you will be in your room when completing a request for assistance so that the Network Technician assigned to your problem can save time by only coming to your room when you will be around.
Violation Policy
All of these guidelines are in effect at all times in the Residence. However, exceptions or accommodations may be made if there is significant academic justification on your part. If you wish to request permission to carry out any activity that is prohibited by these guidelines, please contact computers.innis@utoronto.ca.
Persons found in violation of any Policy or Guideline outlined above and/or on the Network Activation Request form will have their network connections suspended pending an investigation. Depending on the severity of the infraction, sanctions from network suspension up to a criminal investigation of your actions may be initiated, which may result in criminal charges where appropriate and/or expulsion from the residence.
If your network connection is suspended, you may access your email and the Internet from any of the free University of Toronto campus computing facilities (Libraries, UTORcwn, etc).
If you wish to access the Internet without agreeing to these Terms of Conditions of access, you may have Internet services from other third-party sources such as Rogers or Bell connected to your room.
There are two main issues that have caused concern:
The over-usage of network resources (from file-sharing applications, etc.)
Internet access capacity is a resource that is finite and shared between all Residences. Disproportionate usage by residents pursuing academically unrelated or lower priority activities (such as file-sharing) impairs the accessibility and speed of this service to other residents.
The illegal sharing of copyrighted material without license
You will be held responsible for whatever material is shared from your computer. Legal action may be taken against you by the hulder of the copyright for any unlicensed material being shared from your computer. The University of Toronto will not protect individuals who illegally distribute copyrighted material. We strongly suggest that you do not share any material that you do not have distribution rights to.
Be aware that the University of Toronto has the right to monitor all traffic on the network, and to suspend or limit the speed of network connections on the basis of overuse and/or suspected illegal or inappropriate activity.
Bandwidth usage per user and lists of the top 50 users per Residence are published here. The current allocated bandwidth policy and limit is published here.
If you are interested in downloading Linux for academic purposes, you may download various “flavours” from the on-campus UTORMirror site to avoid wasting resources by downloading directly from the Internet.
Protecting your Computer
Your Responsibilities and Liabilities
When you agree to the Online Network Activation form, you acknowledge that you have read this section and thus recognize the fact that the protection of your equipment and your data is your responsibility. Neither Innis Residence nor the University of Toronto will be held responsible for any loss or damage that you may suffer. Understand, also, that you have agreed to take responsibility for making sure that your computer will not be used for illegal or inappropriate activity, whether through your own actions, or the actions of malicious hackers working through your computer.
There are two main ways computers are damaged or used to damage other computers:
Local damage: Just as a computer virus can damage or erase your files, or even your entire hard-drive, hackers can easily accomplish this and much more if allowed to break in to your computer. A hacker could damage or modify your files, install computer viruses, steal data, and much more. Unfortunately, hackers cannot be completely stopped by AntiVirus software, as they do not block the channel they use to gain access to your computer.
Distributed Damage: Once your machine is compromised, a hacker can easily set your computer up to attack other computers on the Internet. If your computer is caught in the act of attacking other computers on the Internet, you may be charged with criminal wrongdoing or negligence. You may have to bear some consequences of their actions! As owner of the computer, you must ensure that it does not get used to commit any illegal or inappropriate acts.
How Your Computer Might Be Compromised
Operating System Security Hules or Weaknesses
Due to the complexity of your Operating System, security weaknesses can be exploited by hackers to either gain access to the system or to disrupt it altogether. Keeping up to date with all software updates for your particular Operating System is a good habit to get into as these weaknesses are periodically addressed. Some exploits even target Javascript or ActiveX deficiencies in your Internet Browser which can lead to security breaches of your computer from just going to a malicious website! If you use Microsoft Windows, the FIRST thing you should do upon connection to the network is to download and install all critical updates by running Windows Update.
Tricking you into compromising your own computer
The most common way of compromising a person’s computer is via a virus. A virus is a program that, while posing as a benign program, maliciously tampers with your computer. Most, if not very nearly all, viruses are distributed as email attachments disguised as jokes or harmless applications. Never open an attachment unless you trust the sender and are sure of what it is. Viruses do things without any warning such as permanently destroying your documents, stealing passwords, and logging your activities. Some viruses reside on websites and infiltrate your computer by exploiting vulnerabilities in your browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome) and Operating System (e.g., Windows, MacOS, Ubuntu). If a search engine or anti-virus program warns you about a website, take it seriously.
Securing your Internet Access
Be proactive! Don’t wait for it to happen before taking precautions. Never underestimate the ways in which your computer can be compromised or damaged. Think of all your work at risk, and the legal ramifications of your computer being caught attacking other computers on the Internet.
Here are some things you can do to protect yourself:
Turn OFF and SECURE your computer when you are not using it.
Your computer cannot be compromised if it is turned off. Since the computer will only be on when you are working on it, any odd behaviour will be noticed quicker. Secure your computer by using BIOS passwords, or by initiating password access to your Win2K/XP/Macintosh machine. Remember, also, that turning off your machine ensures that your file-sharing programs don’t waste your bandwidth.
Install an Internet Firewall.
Firewalls block most known Internet attack methods that malicious hackers use to compromise your system. There are various personal Internet firewalls on the market, many of which will minimize damage to a system even if it’s been compromised. While recent versions of Microsoft Windows contains a firewall, we have found through experience that it is insufficient at blocking many attacks. We highly recommend a third-party firewall. Two effective and free (for personal use) Internet firewall packages are:
Install a virus checker and keep it UPDATED.
It is imperative that you have an up-to-date virus checker running on your system. Also, remember that a virus checker that isn’t updated is almost as bad as not having one at all. For more information see: http://antivirus.utoronto.ca/. The University of Toronto also recommends that Windows users use Microsoft Security Essentials (free) – as noted in the previous link.
Install a spyware checker and keep it UPDATED.
Spyware is defined as any software that secretly harvests your computer for information while masquerading as benign or useful software. They are typically installed on your computer through the use of pop-up windows that ask the user to install software that will ‘benefit’ them or claim that they are necessary to access a certain website. In this way, they rely almost sulely on the ignorance of the user to spread. Many spyware applications are also spread by inclusion in free software offered on the internet (e.g. games or small applications). Spyware typically harvest information such as what websites you go to (as well was when you go to them), email addresses or passwords used while surfing the web, and other private information used in the process of accessing the Internet via your browser. Many also force the user to access third-party websites as a homepage, or hijack bookmarks and search pages. To guard against spyware, you must install a spyware checker and scan your computer regularly. Don’t forget to update spyware profiles regularly! Three effective and free (for personal use) anti-spyware packages are:
Use an alternate Web Browser.
Internet Explorer is the most widely used browser on the Internet. However, it is also the one with the worst security track record. An excellent alternative browser that can be easily installed and is far more secure is the Firefox Browser. We highly recommended its use to avoid spyware and virus infections, as well as to enhance security while browsing and accessing sensitive information (e.g. e-commerce, webmail etc) online.
Be CAREFUL about your email attachments.
Computer Virii and Trojan Horse programs are spread mostly by email. If you receive any unsulicited email from a friend with an attachment that you do not recognize – contact the sender about it before you open it. If a stranger sends you an email with an attachment, NEVER open it. It’s always best to save your attachments to your computer and scan them with an UP-TO-DATE virus scanner before opening them.
Don’t share files from your computer.
Various exploits center around networked file-sharing on home computers. Don’t share files unless you have to. If you do, unshare your files as soon as you are finished sharing them.
Don’t release personal information on the Internet.
Large online companies with SECURE web servers are the exception to this rule. Releasing personal information online to unscrupulous websites can lead to identity theft.
Back up your data.
A little effort backing up your documents will go a long way in ensuring that your work is never lost. Things like power outages, lightning strikes, virus infections, or just plain user error can damage your data. With external hard drives at such an affordable price point, consider running regular backups. However you decide to protect your data, make a habit of backing up your data regularly.
