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Residential Network FAQs

  1. How do I connect to the residential network?

  2. Instructions on how to connect to the network are found here.

  3. Is printing available in the residence halls?

  4. Printing to the front desk printers in residence halls is deducted from your Paw Prints balance. If you wish to print in your room, we recommend that you bring a personal printer (wired only as wireless printers are not allowed).

  5. How much does it cost to connect to the residential network?

  6. Network service is free of charge and available as soon as you move in.

  7. How secure is the network? Am I susceptible to viruses?

  8. Anyone who has e-mail is susceptible to receiving a virus. However, the residential network has a firewall in place and ITS works diligently to protect network users. To assist in protecting not only your personal computer but also the network, all on-campus residents are required to install and run Symantec Endpoint Protection which will be installed free of charge when you initially connect to the network.

  9. What is a web filter, and why do we have one?

  10. A web filter is software or hardware that prevents access to certain websites. Baylor's web-filtering system only blocks sites that contain pornographic materials. Sites that have an educational, medical, or other academically significant purpose are not blocked. The filter does not screen these sites on the basis of keywords, but on actual site content.

  11. How fast is the residential network compared to modem-based services?

  12. You can expect downloads anywhere from 25 KB/s up to 300 KB/s depending on where you are downloading. Local network traffic moves even faster. All of the residence halls are connected via 10/100 megabit Ethernet.

  13. Will my internet activity be monitored?

  14. We do not actively monitor network activity. However, if there is a possibility that network security is being compromised (for example, if we have reason to believe you are sharing copyrighted materials) then we have the ability to monitor certain activities. You can read the specific network usage policies here.

  15. How reliable is the network? Does it go down often?

  16. We work hard to provide all residents with a stable internet connection. In the past year, we had no network down time due to viruses. If a problem is reported, Information Technology Services staff begin working immediately and will have it fixed as soon as possible.

  17. Can I run a game server or FTP server on my computer?

  18. Due to potential competing enterprise services, Baylor University does not allow network users to run SMTP, DHCP, or Kerberos services on wireless or residential networks.

  19. Can I obtain a static IP?

  20. The residential network is operated by using dynamic IP addressing. What this means is that your computer is assigned a different IP address each time you log on. Using dynamic IPs prevents the difficulties of duplicate IP addresses on the network, cuts down on hacking, and makes the network run faster.

  21. Are XBox 360, PlayStations, Blu-ray Players and TiVos allowed on the network?

  22. You are welcome to bring any game consoles, Blu-ray players or TiVos for your personal use. However, currently these systems are not supported on the network. Therefore you will be unable to connect these to the residential network.

  23. What are the usage policies for the residential network?

  24. Please refer here for network policies.