Students and staff living in the NIU residence halls and Northern View Community have several options for connecting their computers to the internet. Cisco NAC is required in order to use the NIU network in the residence halls and Northern View Community. Residents are charged for ResNet Access & Support, which includes support of the hard wired and wireless connections in the residence halls and NVC; residents should contact the ResTech Helpdesk at 815-753-6267 if they experience any problems getting online.

• Ethernet - High-speed, "always on" ethernet connections are available in the rooms of every residence hall and in the apartments of the Nothern View Community. Residents will need a computer that supports an RJ45 ethernet connection and one ethernet cable (Category 5, 5e, or 6).
  
  Residents living in Stevenson doubles and suites will need a hub and additional cable to connect their computers. This additional equipment is provided by NIU free of charge for the duration of the academic year. You can check out a hub and additional cable at the ResTech Helpdesk, located in Stevenson 110C.

• Wi-Fi - Wi-Fi is available in the floor lounges and lobbies of every residence hall. For fall 2012, Wi-Fi is available in residents' rooms in Stevenson, Grant C, Douglas, Neptune, the New Residence Hall, and in the Northern View Community apartments. Wi-Fi coverage has also been expanded to public locations in Neptune, Douglas and Stevenson. This includes all meetings rooms, dining rooms, laundry rooms, computer labs, and the Neptune Central 1st floor fireplace lounge and Trident. Residents need an 802.11b wireless network card to connect to NIU Wi-Fi. Click here to view the requirements for using NIU Wi-Fi in the residence halls and Northern View Community.
  
  For more information, setup tutorials, and instructions, visit the SecureNet Website.
  
  Personal routers and/or wireless access points are prohibited in the residence halls and Northern View Community. These devices can interfere with NIU Wi-Fi and can cause a degradation of the NIU provided service. Unmanaged switches can be used if residents want to connect more than one device in their room.

NIU does not permit residents to install their own wireless routers.

If personal wireless routers are detected on the network, ITS will either block the IP or MAC address of the router, or block the entire port in the room. The student will then be contacted by ResTech staff, the NIU Abuse Investigator, or network engineers (depending on the severity and time of day).

For the 2012 - 2013 academic year, all residents of the halls will be assessed the following charges for ResNet Access & Support. The funds collected enable NIU to provide Internet access and support to residents, including dedicated Internet access to every room in the residence halls, wireless access in all floor lounges and many student rooms, and support for the service provided by the ResTech Helpdesk and ITS.

• Lincoln Hall: $62 per semester
• Grant C, the New Hall, Stevenson and Douglas: $92 per semester (wireless available in all student rooms)
• Neptune Hall: $62 for the fall semester; $92 for the spring semester (to cover the installation and support of Wi-Fi in all residents' rooms)