MCS Guest Wireless FAQ Page

Last Updated:
August 23 2005 17:34:00

Here are the quick steps to getting online at MCS.

• Connect to the Wireless Network.  (Network name: MCS)
• Open your web browser and try to visit a page.
• Fill in the fields and submit the form.
• After 60 seconds, your computer should get a new network address.

That's it.  The registration will last until the following Sunday, at which point you will have to re-register.  If you'll be here for more than 30 days, follow the instructions you'll receive in e-mail after registering to obtain a longer lasting registration.

Note: The registration is tied to the computer, or more specifically, the network interface inside the computer and not the individual.  You will have to do this for all of your computers you wish to use on the MCS network.

Once you are on the network, there are some things you should be aware of.

• Unless you use a VPN, you will not be able to send mail.  The specific details are that we block access to outgoing traffic on TCP port 25 in an effort to mitigate any damage should a virus infiltrate our network.
• Unless you use a VPN, you will not be able to access any windows shares.  The specific details of this rule is that we block outgoing traffic on all NetBIOS ports for the same reason.
• All hosts on the network are firewalled.  Your computer will not be generally accessible to the internet at large, but aside from the exceptions above, your computer should have generally free outbound access.  You probably won't notice this (aside from sending e-mail), but we tell you in case some things don't work as you expect.
• Likewise, the rest of the MCS network is firewalled from the visitor network.  The concise way of putting this is that you are protected from the internet, and likewise MCS is protected from you. 

For further information, please see the series of searchable FAQs at http://www.mcs.anl.gov/faq.