Internet Access

INFORMATION & TECHNOLOGY SERVICES AT TRINITY COLLEGE

Computer Services
ResNet Essentials
ResNet Assistance Request Procedures
ResNet Assistance Request Form

COMPUTER SERVICES

Residence Network (ResNet)

All student rooms are equipped with ethernet jacks that allow you to connect your own computer to the U of T campus residence network. Activation procedures, regulations and computer requirements are provided in hardcopy to students in their Welcome Kits upon arrival in early September. For more information, please read the ResNet Essentials, Resnet Information kit, and ResNet Assistance Request Form documents. If you have already read all the information but still have questions, please follow the instructions on the ResNet Assistance Request Form below for how to report your problem.

Wireless Network

UTOR Campus Wireless Network (UTORcwn) access points provide wi-fi access in all common areas of the College as well as to all residence rooms, the Larkin building and the Graham Library.

UTORcwn provides two SSID’s in your device’s list of available wi-fi networks at Trinity: “UofT” and “eduroam”:

“eduroam” is intended for UT students who are planning to attend other universities or for temporary visiting students from other universities.

UofT SSID: The “UofT” network requires a UTORid for access. UTORids are provided in advance during enrolment application procedures. However, new UTORid’s are only activated when you receive your T-Card and activation key at the T-Card office.

Please note that wireless devices are registered with the UTORid and password used, so it is recommended that you not share your wireless computers or devices (you are liable for activity on the device registered with your UTORid).

IMPORTANT: wifi devices cannot connect if they do not allow entering BOTH a username and a password. Wifi devices like TVs, printers, speakers, and home automation that only require a password are not supported.

ALL support for the UTORcwn wireless networks is provided by Robarts Library Info Commons Helpdesk and Helpline (416-978-HELP). Trinity College IT staff are not tasked with providing support for the wireless networks (so please contact Robarts instead!)

Who to Contact for Help: Wireless Network

Trinity College does NOT provide technical support for the U of T wireless network (including eduroam) that is available throughout the College.

ALL support for the UTORcwn wireless networks is provided by Robart’s Library Info Commons Helpdesk and Helpline at 416-978-HELP or go towww.wireless.utoronto.ca.

Trinity Email Accounts

Trinity email accounts, of the form username@trinity.utoronto.ca, are not issued to Trinity students. University of Toronto students, including Trinity College students, are required to obtain and monitor UTmail+ accounts. Obtain your UTmail+ account at www.utorid.utoronto.ca. U of T Policies on the use of information and communication technology apply.

Dates of Service

Late summer, early September: ResNet info links emailed to incoming students (paper copies also available at he Welcome Desk year-round). ResNet patch cords available for purchase at the Bursar’s Office counter.

Year-round, 24hrs: ResNet (LAN) and UTORcwn (wi-fi) available to all residents, subject to compliance with published terms of use.

Phishing Scams

Recognize phishing scams and fraudulent emails: Phishing is a type of deception designed to steal your personal data such as credit card numbers, passwords or account data. Con artists might send millions of fraudulent email messages that appear to come from websites you trust, like your email, bank, or credit card company, and request that you provide personal information.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHISHING SCAMS:

What does a phishing scam look like? As scam artists become more sophisticated, so do their phishing email messages and pop-up windows. They often include official-looking logos from real organizations and other identifying information taken directly from legitimate websites. To make these phishing email messages look even more legitimate, the scam artists may place a link in them that appears to go to the legitimate website. But it actually takes you to a phoney scam site or possibly a pop-up window that looks exactly like the official site but with a malicious web address. These copycat sites are also called “spoofed” websites. Once you’re at one of these spoofed sites, you might unwittingly send personal information to the con artists.

How to tell if an email message is fraudulent: Here are a few phrases to look for if you think an email message is a phishing scam.

  • Verify your account: Businesses should not ask you to send passwords, login names, social insurance number or other personal information through email.
  • If you don’t respond within 48 hours, your account will be closed: These messages convey a sense of urgency so that you’ll respond immediately without thinking. Phishing email might even claim that your response is required because your account might have been compromised.
  • Dear valued customer: Phishing email messages are usually sent out in bulk and often do not contain your first or last name.
  • Click the link below to gain access to your account: Specially formatted messages can contain links or forms that you can fill out just as you’d fill out a form on a website. The links that you are urged to click may contain all or part of a real company’s name and are usually “masked,” meaning that the link you see does not take you to that address but somewhere different, usually a phoney website. Con artists also use Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) that resemble the name of a well-known company but are slightly altered by adding, omitting or transposing letters.

How to avoid phishing scams

  • Protect your computer with antivirus software, spyware filters, email filters and firewall programs.
  • Do not reply to any email that requests your personal information.
  • Do not respond to unsolicited online requests for personal information.
  • Do not enter personal information into pop-up windows.
  • Do not provide personal information online if:
  • You are not certain of who is requesting it.
  • Any word in the URL is misspelled.
  • The URL does not start with https
  • The small yellow lock in the browser’s status bar is not closed
  • The browser window is not one you opened yourself.
  • Forward suspicious emails to IT Services at ITstaff@trinity.utoronto.ca for their assessment.

How to handle suspicious email: Follow these guidelines to help protect yourself from phishing scams sent through email:

  1. If you think you’ve received a phishing email message, do not respond to it.
  2. Report suspicious email to the faked or “spoofed” organization: Contact the organization directly and NOT through the email you received-and ask for confirmation. Or call the organization and speak to a customer service representative.
  3. Don’t click links in email messages: Links in phishing email messages often take you to phoney sites that encourage you to transmit personal or financial information to con artists. Avoid clicking a link in an email message unless you are sure of the destination. Even if the address bar displays the correct address, don’t risk being fooled. Con artists can display a fake URL in the address bar on your browser.
  4. Type addresses directly into your browser or use your personal bookmarks: If you need to update your account information or change your password, visit the website by using your personal bookmark or by typing the URL directly into your browser.
  5. Check the security certificate before you enter personal or financial information into a website: You can do this in most web browsers by checking the yellow lock icon on the status bar. If the lock is closed, then the site uses encryption to help protect any sensitive, personal information. Note: The lock icon doesn’t need to appear on every page of a site, only on those pages that request personal information. Unfortunately, even the lock symbol can be faked. To help increase your safety, double-click the lock icon to display the security certificate for the site. The name following “Issued to” should match the name of the site. If the name differs, you may be on a fake site. If you’re not sure whether a certificate is legitimate, don’t enter any personal information. Play it safe and leave.
  6. Don’t enter personal or financial information into pop-up windows: One common phishing technique is to launch a fake pop-up window when someone clicks a link in a phishing email message. To make the pop-up window look more convincing, it may be displayed over a window you trust. Even if the pop-up window looks official or claims to be secure, avoid entering sensitive information, because there is no way to check the security certificate. Close pop-up windows by clicking the red X in the top right corner (a “cancel” button may not work as you’d expect).

What to do if you’ve responded to a phishing scam: If you suspect that you’ve responded to a phishing scam with personal or financial information or entered this information into a fake website, take these steps to minimize any damage.

  • Step 1: Report the incident to the following authorities
    • Institutions you deal with and your credit card company, if you have given out your credit card or account information. The sooner an organization knows your account may have been compromised, the easier it will be for them to help protect you.
    • The company that you believe was forged. Remember to contact the organization directly, not through the email message you received.
    • Contact both of Canada’s national credit reporting agencies, Trans Union Canada and Equifax Canada. Ask each agency to send you a copy of your credit report. Also, discuss with them whether you should have a fraud alert placed on your file, asking that creditors call you before opening any new accounts or changing your existing accounts: Equifax Canada at 1-800-465-7166; Trans Union Canada at 1-877-525-3823.
    • You can also report the phishing scam to reportphishing@antiphishing.org. To report the scam to these groups, create a new email message addressed to them and attach the phishing email to the new message. You can also copy the entire phishing email and paste it in the new message. Do not use the “forward” option if possible, as this format may exclude information and requires more manual processing.
  • Step 2: Change the password on your online account
  • Step 3: Routinely review your credit card and bank statements: Review your bank and credit card statements monthly for unexplained charges or inquiries that you didn’t initiate.


RESNET ESSENTIALS

This section describes how to access the Trinity College ResNet which is the wired network accessible via data jacks in all our residence rooms. There is also a separate wireless network (appearing as “UofT” on your wireless device) which UTORid holders can access. The ResNet provides a faster, more stable alternative to UofT wifi, and is recommended as a backup system for residents even if you have good wifi access in your room.

Please read all of our online ResNet information below so that you know your responsibilities with respect to:

  • keeping your traffic within U of T tolerance
  • copyrighted file-sharing
  • sharing your connection
  • the use of wireless devices
  • the disconnection process and penalties, etc.

Please be advised that failure to become informed of your responsibilities is not accepted as an excuse to avoid disconnection penalties that may arise from violations of the Trinity College Rules (Information Kit) ResNet Policy and the University of Toronto Appropriate Use of Information and Communication Technology.

To connect to ResNet:

Read the ResNet Information Kit below (available at the Welcome Desk), including the Trinity College ResNet Rules, and also review the U of T Appropriate Use of Information and Communication Technology. Then, in your residence room, follow this online registration procedure:

  1. Turn your computer on without connecting your ethernet patch cord into your room’s ResNet jack.
  2. In your network settings, set your computer to obtain its IP address automatically (do not use a fixed IP number).
  3. Plug your patch cord into your computer (telephone cords will not work) and into the ResNet jack. (Standard patch cords are sold at the Office of the Dean of Students or at any computer shop.)
  4. Open any internet browser. It should be automatically directed to the “Trinity College ResNet Registration” page. If you do not see that page, type resnet.utoronto.ca in the address line and hit the “Enter” key. If your browser still fails to go to the registration page, then either your jack, patch cord or computer is the problem and you should follow the directions on the blue ResNet Assistance Request Form (available at the Welcome Desks).
  5. Read the information on the “Trinity College ResNet Registration” page (in your browser) and enter your name and room number at bottom. Then click on “Submit” to confirm your agreement to the terms. There will be a confirmation window, possibly telling you to reboot your computer to then get full internet access. (You can bypass the reboot by entering ipconfig/renew at a DOS prompt.) We urge Windows users to immediately run Windows Updates and to be sure to have a functional virus scanner (such as MS Security Essentials). A firewall is also recommended (such as Windows Firewall).

If you have problems with the above procedure then please read the blue ResNet Assistance Request Form. Do the tests it describes before submitting the form and before asking for assistance from ResNet Administrators. Asking an experienced neighbour for help is recommended, as it may save you time when Trinity College IT staff assistance is in high demand.


RESNET ASSISTANCE REQUEST PROCEDURES

This section is designed to streamline ResNet assistance procedures for the benefit of all. Please read this form thoroughly, perform the required tests, and submit the completed form if you still require help with your ResNet connection.

Trinity College does NOT provide technical support for the UofT wireless network (including eduroam) that is available throughout the College. Please call 416-978-HELP or go to www.wireless.utoronto.ca for assistance with the UofT wifi network.

If your ResNet connection does not work:

Please read this section thoroughly, perform the required tests, and submit the completed form if you still require help with your ResNet connection.

  1. If several people on your floor are offline then your area ResNet switch has probably failed. Please report the problem stating the room numbers involved to the Welcome Desk Staff who will notify Trinity Information + Technology Services staff .
  2. If you think that you may have been disconnected for any reason (excessive traffic, virus detected, copyright violation, etc.) then check your U of T email. Disconnections are logged and penalties depend on your cumulative ResNet infractions history. Disconnection penalty periods are strictly enforced and are reduced only on the rare direction of a senior College administrator. Since everyone relies on the network and its security, there is zero tolerance for those who ignore the rules, knowingly or not.
  3. You are required to have a functional virus scanner installed (currently updating). Viruses can interfere with network access. If you need a virus scanner then install one (Microsoft’s free Security Essentials is recommended). The College is not responsible for installing or configuring updates or any other software on your privately-owned computer.
  4. If you have no connection even though your activation status is “Enabled” then either your jack, your patch cord or your computer is the problem.
  1. Test your jack by finding someone on your floor who has a laptop that gets online via the ResNet jack in their own room. Ask them to briefly plug into your jack with their own laptop and patch cord. (Jack sharing between residents is permitted for brief testing purposes only). If they can still get online while using your jack, then you know that your jack is functional. If they cannot get online using your jack (but could on theirs), then your jack might be damaged and we may need to repair it.
  2. Test your patch cord by borrowing a known-to-work cord from a neighbour. If you suspect that your patch cord is bad, you can have it tested at the Information + Technology Services Office (if closed then leave it, with a note, at the at Bursar’s Office). We will send it back with our findings. Defective patch cords bought from Trinity are replaced at no cost.
  3. Briefly test your computer on a neighbour’s known-to-work jack and patch cord, to see if your computer is configured properly. If your computer doesn’t get online there either, then the problem is with your computer. Once you have determined that your jack and patch cord are working then consider the following potential problems with your computer.
  4. Network configuration may be wrong. Use the automatic settings and procedure outlined in the ResNet Essentials section above. Do not have fixed IP numbers set for either your computer IP number, gateway, mask, or DNS server settings.
  5. You might need to disable your wireless adapter so that your computer tries to use the LAN connection instead.
  6. Network adapter drivers may not be installed properly or adapter may be defective. Check the Device Manager (Control Panel/Devices) for driver status (it should show “This device is working properly”). In rare cases you might need to install a new network adapter (hardware, not just software).
  7. In some cases (ex: virus-corrupted operating system or damaged Windows registry) running System Restore or re-installing Windows may be necessary. A virus can have many symptoms, including networking malfunctions. Have the virus removed. Privately-owned infected student computers are not serviced by Trinity College.
  8. Your computer has the same name as one already existing on the network, possibly interfering with your network access. (You would get an error message indicating this – rename your computer to eliminate the conflict.)
  9. Make sure your internet browser is not set to work offline.
  10. If you appear to be on the network (i.e., your computer does not report “network cable unplugged”) but you cannot use your internet browser, check to make sure it is not set to use a proxy server (some malware modifies this setting).

Please note that Trinity College does not provide technical support for computer problems unrelated to ResNet network access. Computers with hardware or software problems (e.g., corrupted or infected operating systems) are not fixed by ResNet administrators – you must make your own arrangements for repairs. Robarts Library has a free virus removal program (call 416-978-HELP) but beware that there may be an extended waiting period. The College cannot assume liability that may result from working on your computer. ResNet Administration is only responsible for ensuring a functional connection to the ResNet. It remains your own responsibility to configure your own computer for network access. However, the ResNet Administrators may guide you with suggestions or visit you (to check your jack, not your computer) if you have already made reasonable efforts to follow these instructions and have described your problem in adequate detail. Due to very limited staffing, the vast majority of our 450 ResNet users must get online without in-person assistance from a ResNet Administrator.


RESNET ASSISTANCE REQUEST FORM

Checklist Before Submitting a ResNet Assistance Request Form: Are several people offline on your floor? If yes, notify the Welcome Desk staff, stating all affected room numbers. The staff will notify ResNet Administration (expect delayed response time after business hours). There is no need to complete this form if the problem is a floor outage. You may also leave a message at the IT Office: ext. 4715 (checked daily on weekdays), but be sure to describe the problem in detail. Please circle correct answers:

Have you read the How to Access Your Wired Network ResNet to familiarize yourself with ResNet procedures and policies? Yes No
What is your “activation status”? (see step #2 above) Enabled Disabled
Have you tried the jack test in the Procedures section 4 i? Yes No
Have you tried the patch cord test in the Procedures section 4 ii? Yes No
Have you tried the computer test in the Procedures section 4 iii? Yes No
Have you considered the potential computer problems in the Procedures section 4 iii and tried the corresponding fixes? Yes No
If you did not get online in your room yet, does the “Trinity College Online Registration” page open when you start your web browser? Yes No

 

Details of the problem (Priority is given to students who carefully follow the preceding directions, do all the appropriate tests in step 4, and clearly detail their problem).

If you can get online, you can submit a work order via this online form: https://db.trinity.utoronto.ca/itworder/. Otherwise, please print the form below (make sure to print just this last page), complete it and submit it to the Welcome Desk. A printed copy of this form is also available at the Trinity Welcome Desk.

Your name (print clearly):

 

Room number:
Jack number (required only if there is more than one ResNet jack in your room: see label on jack):
Your room’s telephone extension number:
Current Date:

 

If your problem is resolved before we contact you, please email itstaff@trinity.utoronto.ca to inform us. Please submit this form by bringing it to the Trinity Welcome Desk.

Thank you.