Wireless Internet Access Is Coming to the MSU Campus
08/25/2004
Wireless access to the campus network and the Internet is coming to MSU. Academic Computing & Network Services (ACNS) will deploy centrally-managed wireless Internet service with initial “hot spots” in service during fall semester.
The new service will be dubbed “MSUnet Wireless.” Priority will be given to serving common areas where the demand is greatest, such as the Main Library and select classrooms.
MSU has chosen Airespace as its vendor for wireless access points, switches, and management tools. Access points, sometimes called “base stations,” enable devices such as Wi-Fi-enabled laptops to connect to the campus network – and hence the Internet – at speeds up to 54 megabits per second.
Airespace access points support all three of the current Wi-Fi standards (see “About Wi-Fi” below). By supporting all of the current wireless networking standards, MSUnet Wireless will enable customers to use any Wi-Fi enabled device on the market, while providing high performance to those who have the latest equipment. Airespace technology also offers important network management advantages; for instance the access points cooperate with each other in order to share the load in serving users in a common space. ACNS network managers will be able to monitor coverage areas in real time and to diagnose individual access problems.
To connect to MSUnet Wireless, members of the MSU community will enter their MSU NetID and password using a Web browser. The service will offer both Virtual Private Network (VPN) and unencrypted access. Customers will be encouraged to either use the VPN or employ SSL-encrypted communication as they conduct transactions over the Internet. Users of MSUnet Wireless will be able to roam the campus and use multiple computers without having to manage WEP encryption keys. ACNS technologists are exploring ways to provide wireless access to the thousands of guests who come to MSU each year for seminars, workshops, conferences, etc.
“MSUnet Wireless will offer the campus robust Wi-Fi service with minimal complexity. We’re excited to be able to offer wireless service that employs the latest technology,” said Tom Davis, ACNS director. “Today’s laptops, and increasingly other devices, have Wi-Fi support built-in. Although hardwired network connections aren’t going away anytime soon, the convenience of wireless access makes it a winner.”
ACNS is working with Telecom Systems to deploy the initial set of access points. Service will begin in the Main Library in late September. Other early service areas include select meeting rooms and common areas in the MSU Union, Kellogg Center, Owen Hall, and the International Center.
Wireless access for academic areas such as libraries and classrooms will be centrally funded. Departments wishing to join MSUnet Wireless may do so by contributing to the initial cost of each access point and paying a nominal monthly fee to defray maintenance and network management costs. Although departments could deploy inexpensive consumer-grade access points on their own, ACNS encourages units to join MSUnet Wireless in order to provide consistent and reliable campus-wide wireless Internet access to faculty, staff, and students.
Individuals with questions about wireless Internet access should contact the ACNS Help Desk at 517-432-6200. Departments wishing to connect to MSUnet Wireless should contact Lih-Er Wey at 517-355-4500, extension 108, or weyle@msu.edu.
About Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi, short for “Wireless Fidelity,” is the international standard for wireless local area networking. Three variants are used today:
- 802.11b, the most mature variant, supports communication at up to 11 megabits per second over the 2.4 gigahertz spectrum. That’s the same spectrum used by cordless telephones (and microwave ovens) which sometimes leads to interference problems.
- 802.11g also operates at 2.4 gigahertz but at speeds up to 54 megabits / second.
- 802.11a operates in the 5 gigahertz range, which is less commonly used and less prone to interference, at speeds up to 54 megabits / second.
MSUnet Wireless will support all three wireless variants. Over time, newer Wi-Fi user devices will come on the market that also support all three standards, providing wireless users on campus with flexibility and high performance.
New Extended Hours for Enrollment, Other Administrative Systems
08/17/2004
Administrative Information Services (AIS) is pleased to announce extended hours for Computer Enrollment and other mainframe-based administrative systems.
Effective August 11, 2004, systems such as the Student Information System (SIS), Computer Enrollment, Budget, and Accounting, as well as all other mainframe-based online administrative systems, will be available for use until 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Students will benefit by being able to enroll for classes, and faculty and staff will enjoy an expanded time window in which to conduct administrative transactions.
AIS is able to extend the hours for administrative transactions thanks to a new mainframe installed last May. AIS has been tracking the completion of nightly mainframe-based batch processing since the upgrade; after reviewing batch completion statistics, we believe we can expand online availability by two hours and still complete nightly batch processing by 7:00 a.m. during typical evenings. As always, exceptions may be made for scheduled maintenance, grades processing, etc. AIS will continue to evaluate batch completion times and make further adjustments if warranted.
Students Now Receive Tuition Bills Electronically
08/16/2004
As of July 26, 2004, electronic billing is the official way Michigan State University students receive and pay their tuition bills. Paper bills will no longer be mailed via the U.S. Postal Service. Billing statements will be available in StuInfo (http://StuInfo.msu.edu).
The electronic billing and payment system will automatically send an e-mail notification to the student’s MSU provided e-mail address when a bill is ready to be viewed online. If the student has authorized a guest — typically a parent or guardian — to view his or her bills through StuInfo, the guest also will receive an e-mail when a bill is ready to view online.
Students may pay their bills electronically at the StuInfo Web site. They may pay via electronic check payment from a checking or savings account at no charge, or they may pay using Master Card, American Express or Discover cards online for a small fee.
For more information, please see http://www.ctlr.msu.edu/studrec/eBill.htm#gen1
Faculty/Staff Can Now Update Personal Contact Information Online
08/16/2004
This year, for the first time, faculty and staff members can update contact information via the Web. Changes that they make are reflected immediately in online searches.
Late in 2003, faculty and staff began to update their own home addresses, phone numbers and related personal information on the Web-based Faculty/Staff/Retiree Address (FSRA) system. Address administrators in each department can update departmental addresses, phone numbers, and related information for faculty & staff in their departments. Extensive system help pages assist users in performing these tasks.
The new Web-based system enhances flexibility, allowing multiple home or campus addresses and phone numbers to be entered, including clearly-designated fax, pager, and TTY numbers. Centrally-provided “@msu.edu” electronic mail addresses are automatically updated. A faculty or staff member can also enter an alternate business e-mail address, plus business-related or the address of his or her Web home page.
Each faculty & staff member can restrict his or her home telephone number and address from publication, while making the information available to authorized administrators who use a password to enter the system.
Departmental address administrators — usually the same people who handle personnel records for the department — can enter alternate names for a faculty/staff members, to assist those who may prefer to use a professional name that differs from his/her legal name, or who may have published under multiple names. (The individual decides which names will be published.)
In addition to the Web update functions, an enhanced search display allows public look-up of any information that has not been restricted.
To take advantage of the public search, visit
To update your own address information, select your name from a public search and click the “login to change” button, or go directly to:
https://fsra.msu.edu/AppLogin.Asp?LoginType=manual
The People search from www.msu.edu typically will reflect changes within a day after they are entered. Changes made by June 15 are reflected in the printed Faculty-Staff Directory.
