DHNet Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

This page will host many questions that we receive on a daily basis.

DHNet Information

P2P and the Restriction Process

Connecting to DHNet

DHNet Connection CD

Gaming and Connecting Other Devices than Computers

DHNet Forum

DHNet Information

What is DHNet@Home?

DHNet@Home is our new initiative that brings the services of the help desk closer to you. We have help desks located in the following areas: Broward, Hume, Murphree, and Springs. All you will need to do is bring your machine (Desktop or Laptop) to the desk with your Gator-1 ID. This is a free service and is available to all Housing residents in the residence halls and village housing. Please check the Hours of Operation page for more information.

My computer will not connect, how do I get help?

Please come by one of the DHNet@Home locations during the normal hours of operation. You will need your machine and your Gator-1 ID card.

What time are the DHNet@Home desks open?

We list the Hours of Operation for all of our help desk locations on the Hours of Operation page.

Is high speed Internet access provided in every student room?

Students living in single-student resident halls and Maguire/UVS/Diamond village residents are provided high-speed Internet access.

Is wireless access provided in student rooms?

Currently, DHNet Wireless service is only available in the area commons and throughout Jennings Hall. Look for the SSIDSSID

An SSID is the name of a Wi-Fi network, such as "dhw" or "ufw". SSID stands for "Service Set Identifier". called "dhw" and make sure you follow the directions on the DHNet website for connecting to DHNet Wireless service.

What is DHNet and what services are provided to me as a resident?

DHNet is the Department of Housing and Residence Education computer network for residents. It includes all single-student residence halls and Maguire, University Village South, and Diamond Villages. DHNet provides wired and wireless high speed Internet access for its residents and a help desk program called DHNet@Home to help residents get connected.

Is the DHNet network monitored?

Yes. The network is monitored for both malicious and/or illegal activity at all times. There is a restriction process for residents who violate the DHNet Acceptable Use Policies and the UF IT Acceptable Use Policy. Students are advised to follow the Student Conduct Code even when they are at home in the residence halls.

How secure are the DHNet Services?

While there are always those out there with malicious intentions on the internet, the DHNet staff does its best to provide real-time protection for those who use our services. DHNet uses one of the most sophisticated and secure forms of authentication to keep non-UF Housing residents users off of our network.

How do I set up my E-Mail?

This is not a DHNet related issue and the DHNet@Home desk staff cannot assist you. Please note that we do not provide a SMTP service as of Fall 2007. Relevant information and assistance is provided by the UF Computing Help Desk.

How do I remove viruses from my computer?

DHNet cannot assist you with removing viruses. However, viruses may conflict with connecting to our network. UF provides the McAfee Antivurus program free to all UF students. The UF Computing Help Desk can assist you with removing viruses.

P2P and the Restriction Process

I just got restricted for the first time, what do I do next?

You will be redirected to a page that informs you of the service restriction when trying to visit any non-UF websites. You will need to enter your Gatorlink username and password to continue. If you are being restricted because of P2PP2P (Peer 2 Peer)

Peer to peer software is a way to share files with other people. Examples include Bittorrent and eMule. Peer to peer software is not allowed on the DHNet network. software use, you will see a page explaining the violation. Read carefully through this information and click "I will comply" if you will comply. After complying, your internet access will be restored within 30 minutes.

What is a DMCA Violation?

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) outlines prohibitions regarding unauthorized use (including distribution) of literary/artistic works in digital form. DHNet staff often receive outside complaints from legal officials indicating that a person using the DHNet network is violating the copyright on a specific “work.” A complaint contains technical evidence of a download from a location on the DHNet network that allows for identification of the user via the public information contained within the download. When DHNet Network Administration staff receive such a complaint, this information is referred to the Coordinator of Residential Judicial Programs in the Main Housing Office and the student is contacted by email.

This type of violation is an automatic level 3 and the student in violation is immediately restricted to viewing only UFL.EDU websites. The student is required to contact the office for the Coordinator of Residential Judicial Programs to set up a meeting in order to regain full access to the Internet. The Coordinator for Residential Judicial Affairs determines the length of the restriction and then notifies the DHNet Network Administration staff.

What is P2P and filesharing?

P2PP2P (Peer 2 Peer)

Peer to peer software is a way to share files with other people. Examples include Bittorrent and eMule. Peer to peer software is not allowed on the DHNet network. (or peer-to-peer) filesharing is a network model in which files are stored on and served by individual home computers. P2P networks provide many different types of content both legal and illegal. For reasons of copyright and bandwidth, most P2P filesharing is prohibited on DHNet including Gnutella (LimeWire, WinMX, BearShare, Morpheus, Acquisition) and Bittorrent (Ares,eDonkey, eMule, Azureus, BitComent).

What are the different P2P violation levels?

You can find information about the P2P violation levels by looking over the Restriction Process.

I've just received my third violation, what do I do now?

The third violation requires you to speak to a judicial staff member. From the Restriction Process:

The third time the user has an alleged DHNet violation, the restriction will be in place until the user meets with a judicial staff member in the Department of Housing and Residence Education. During this meeting, an extended restriction of DHNet services may be assigned based on the resolution of the situation. Other official action may also be taken that is noted on the user’s official UF judicial record including the recording of information about any other DHNet incidents.

What are IRC Bots and why am I getting restricted?

An IRC Bot is an autonomous program that often threatens the integrity of a network. To maintain the security and reliability of DHNet, users found with IRC Bots running on their computers are blocked from connecting to the network. This is not a P2P violation but instead a restriction that lasts until the IRC Bot programs are removed. The UF Computing Help Desk can assist with removing the IRC Bots from the machines. Please note that DHNet@Home locations are not permitted to remove these bots. If you receive an email from DHNet@Home regarding an IRC Bot, it is in your best interest to get this taken care of immediately.

A friend of mine that lives off campus illegally shares files on their broadband connection, why can’t I do that using DHNet Services?

Illegal file sharing is just that, illegal. Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) may be more lax about this topic than other, but DHNet is primarily an academic network and is responsible for ensuring that it is used for academic purposes. The University of Florida is partially held accountable for every violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) committed on its network and faces sharp penalties for each offense. For this reason, DHNet reminds all residents that illegal file sharing (illegally sharing and illegally downloading) is prohibited on the network.

Connecting to DHNet

What type of computer should I get?

Any modern computer from a major vendor should work with our services. If you are worried it will not work (ie. if it is used and not made recently) check with the seller to make sure it has an ethernet portEthernet Port

An ethernet port is a place where you plug in an ethernet cable. This can be on your computer or the wall.

ethernet port image and a compatible operating system.

How can I make sure that my computer will work with DHNet services?

The DHNet@Home help desks have the necessary equipment to make sure your machine can connect to the services offered by DHNet. All you need to do is come to one of the DHNet@Home help desks during normal operating hours with your machine and Gator-1 ID card.

What operating systems are compatible with the DHNet Services?

In short most modern operating systems: Windows XP SP2 or later, Windows Vista, Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther) and later, and most major Linux distributions (for Ubuntu users, we recommend at least Hardy Heron 8.04). DHNet is compatible with any operating system that supports PEAP authentication over 802.1x.

Sometimes in my residence hall, I see that there are wireless networks available other than ufw or dhw, what are these and should I connect to them?

These are most likely ad-hoc networks set up by other people in the residence halls or nearby. Connecting to these can be a hazardous to your computer because you don’t know who might be connecting through the network to your computer. Also hackers will setup fake access points so that they can gain access to your credentials therefore it’s best to only connect to published UF and Housing wireless access points (WAPs).

When I’m in class on my computer, I connect to UFW using the Blue Socket portlet. Why is DHW different?

DHWDHW

DHW is the SSID or wireless name for any DHNet wireless access point (WAP). is the DHNet's wireless system and is administered by the Department of Housing and Residence Education. UFW is part of the campus network and is not controlled by the Department of Housing and Residence Education. DHW uses the authentication standard 802.1X802.1x

A security protocol used to limit who can sign on to our network. 802.1x authenticates and authorizes anyone who connects to a DHNet network port. If they fail authentication they will not be given internet access. which encrypts your credentials for increased security.

Sometimes when I’m connecting through a wireless connection, my connection will drop or slow down significantly, why does this happen?

Due to the nature of wireless networks, the connection speed is based on the distance from the Wireless Access Point (WAP) and the amount of users connecting to the WAP.

Will I need a modem or any special equipment to connect to the network?

No, all that is required to connect is an Ethernet cord which can be found at your local computer accessories dealer or electronics store.

DHNet Connection CD

What is the DHNet Connection CD?

The DHNet Connection CD contains software that sets up all the correct settings on your computer and tries to correct all incompatible settings. It does not install anything on your computer and we don't require you to have any applications installed in order to connect to the DHNet network. The DHNet Connection CD is compatible with Windows XP, Vista, and Mac OS X on Intel. The DHNet Connection CD will not work with Linux at this time.

Where can I get the DHNet Connection CD?

Starting in Summer B, all residents will receive a DHNet Connection CD in their check-in package.

How do I use the DHNet Connection CD?

On any Windows computer, the software will start when the CD is entered. From there, follow the instructions on the screen.

Why does the DHNet Connection CD stop and inform me of P2P programs?

P2P programs are not allowed on the DHNet network and will cause a restriction. The Connection CD will not continue until these programs have stopped running.

What do I do if the DHNet Connection CD doesn't work?

The DHNet Connection CD will not continue until there are no running P2PP2P (Peer 2 Peer)

Peer to peer software is a way to share files with other people. Examples include Bittorrent and eMule. Peer to peer software is not allowed on the DHNet network. programs. If the DHNet Connection CD does not work, there may be an incompatibility on your computer that the CD does not see. To get connected if the CD does not work, contact us.

Gaming and Connecting Other Devices than Computers

Why can’t I just plug my Xbox, Playstation, Wii, or other gaming system into the Ethernet port in my wall?

The manufacturers of these consoles did not include an 802.1X802.1x

A security protocol used to limit who can sign on to our network. 802.1x authenticates and authorizes anyone who connects to a DHNet network port. If they fail authentication they will not be given internet access. supplicant and until they do, an internet connection sharing situation is required for internet connectivity on these consoles.

Why can’t I have a wireless router for my extra computer/printer/gaming console?

Currently, only computers are allowed to connect to DHNet. This improves the overall security of the network. With hardware like routers, switches, and hubs, it is impossible to identify who is connecting to the network.

I only have one Ethernet port, how can I use Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)?

Most laptops will only have one ethernet portEthernet Port

An ethernet port is a place where you plug in an ethernet cable. This can be on your computer or the wall.

ethernet port image. To use Internet Connection Sharing, you will need to get a second Ethernet port. USBUSB

USB is a type of connection to your computer. It is identified with the usb symbol symbol.

image of usb cable, PCMCIAPCMCIA Card

PCMCIA cards (or "PC Cards") are a standard for hardware cards that extend the functionality of your computer. PCMCIA is an older standard and has been replaced with ExpressCard.

pcmcia cards image and ExpressCardExpressCard

ExpressCard is a standard for cards that extend the hardware functionality of your computer. They are a new standard that replaces PCMCIA.

expresscard image adapters are available to add a second Ethernet port.

Can I play computer games?

Yes! We have no policy against computer video games. However, you will not be able to host an online game as this is acting as a server (see our policies regarding acting as a server).

What about World of Warcraft?

You can play World of Warcraft. However, larger WoW patches are distributed through the Bittorrent protocol, which is not allowed on the DHNet network (see our policies regarding acting as a server). For these patches, you will need to find an alternative way to get the patch.

The DHNet Forum

What is the purpose of the DHNet forum?

The forum provides a place for DHNet staff and students to solve problems related to connecting and using the DHNet network. It provides a way for both support technicians as well as students to contribute to this process.

How do I sign up for the DHNet forum?

Go to http://dhnet.ufl.edu/forum and click "register" on the upper right hand side of the page.

How do I use the DHNet Forum?

First, try to find if someone else has asked your question. You can look in the relevant area as well as search for your topic. If you find your topic, you can add relevant information or ask additional questions about that topic by clicking "Post Reply". If you cannot find your topic, you can post a new topic by going to the relevant area of the forum and clicking "New Topic".


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