The College will restrict all access to Dartmouth's wired Internet network over the next month to individuals who are affiliated with the College, according to network services director Frank Archambeault. The change, which is similar to last year's switch to the Dartmouth Secure wireless network, will first be implemented this week in Dewey Field House, expanding south building by building, he said.
"We made the decision to become private, so we can know who's attaching to the network and only allow affiliated users," Archambeault said.
The switch comes in response to a 2004 update to the Federal Communications Commission's Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, which requires public network providers to disclose information transmitted through their networks if subpoenaed, Archambeault said.
Institutions with restricted network access are exempt from this mandate, he said, noting that only Dartmouth faculty, staff and students will be able to connect to the wired network after the change. Dartmouth Secure, the first phase of the College's response to CALEA, has provided similar restricted access to the wireless network since its inception last year, he said.
To gain access to the network, users will have to enter their Dartmouth Name Directory credentials into a login page, Archambeault said, and will not have to purchase any new hardware or software.
"We want to associate the hardware address of your computer with your name," Archambeault said.
Registration lasts for one year, and users will receive an e-mail reminder to re-register two weeks before it expires, he said. To renew access, users must re-enter their credentials.
Users can register an unlimited number of computers, Archambeault said.
The speed of the Internet connection should not be affected by the privatization of the ethernet network, Archambeault said, explaining that students who choose to connect via ethernet cable will experience the change sometime during the remainder of the term.
"It'll be a few weeks before we get to any residence halls," Archambeault said.
As the northernmost undergraduate residence cluster on campus, the McLaughlin Cluster will be the first to have its connection privatized, he said, although he could not give an exact date.
"We have no full timeline," he said.
As the College prepares to privatize the wired connection, many students are still reporting problems relating to the privatization of the wireless connection with the creation of Dartmouth Secure.
"A large number of students are still on Dartmouth Public, and we're concerned why," David Bucciero, director of Technical Services, said.
Bucciero noted that students have reported problems connecting to Dartmouth Secure when they turn their computers on or wake them up from sleep mode, adding that those with Macintosh computers report more consistent problems than those with PC's.
An upcoming meeting with Apple representatives will address these problems, Bucciero said.
Eric Tanner '11 said he met with Bucciero after experiencing problems connecting to Dartmouth Secure using his MacBook.
"They said the problem has less to do with the Internet services [than] it has to do with the computers themselves," he said.
