Before your notebook computer will be allowed on the UDSL network, you need to understand and comply with UDSL’s policies in the following categories:

• Virus Protection
• Spyware Protection
• Windows Critical Updates
• Fair and Acceptable Use Policy
• Available Storage

Virus Protection

 Your computer must have virus protection software and an updated virus definition file to be allowed on the UDSL network. Acceptable protection software includes Symantec Antivirus (which UDSL has a volume license for and offers free to current students) and McAfee Antivirus. New viruses are created every day, so you must frequently visit your provider’s website to download updated virus definitions to ensure your protection is current. Even if you have Symantec or McAfee, but you do not update your virus definitions, your computer is not protected.

You must also to sure to enable Auto-Protect (this is the name of the feature in Symantec Antivirus). This feature tells the antivirus software to scan all files that are moved, copied, etc. If you do not have this feature turned on, the antivirus software will only scan items if you tell it to perform a scan. You want it to scan all the time, so that it will catch a virus before the virus spreads through your machine.

If your computer is networked and gets a virus, you could spread the virus to the entire network. To prevent such an epidemic, we require that your computer has virus protection software and updated virus definition files before you can access the UDSL network.

Spyware Protection

Spyware is software or files that are downloaded to your computer while you are online, either with or without your knowledge and consent. Spyware can cause many problems on your computer: you may be inundated with pop-up windows, your homepage may change to a new homepage on its own, or your internet connection may suddenly become extremely slow.

There are some things you can do to reduce the amount of spyware on your computer. The first is to avoid downloading anything from the internet that is “free” or that you are not completely sure is legitimate, such as screensavers, games, and chat software. Here is a complete list of Spyware programs.

UDSL also offers two software programs that will search for spyware on your computer and then delete the spyware it finds. These programs are Lavasoft AdAware and Spybot Search and Destroy.  It is best to use scanning software as a supplement to preventative maintenance (i.e., not downloading software), and not as a substitute, to prevent spyware from getting on your machine, and then to remove it if it does get on your machine.

Spyware scanner:  http://www.spywareguide.com/txt_onlinescan.html

Windows Critical Updates

Windows periodically provides updates for its software that are designed to close security loopholes that may be in the software. These updates are vital to ensuring the security of your computer; therefore, you must have your computer up to date with Windows updates before you will be allowed to have access to the UDSL network. As of May 2005, the most current Windows XP update is Service Pack 2.

In order to see what Windows updates your computer needs, you must be connected to the internet.  Then, go to http://update.microsoft.com and the page will automatically scan your machine and evaluate what updates are necessary.  Follow the install instructions from there.

Fair and Acceptable Use Policy

The University of Dayton has a policy that does not tolerate any illegal file sharing. The University of Dayton School of Law has its own policy regarding this issue, which does not allow for UDSL students to have any Peer to Peer software on their computers, as P2P software supports illegal file-sharing. If you have software of this nature on your computer, you will not be allowed onto the UDSL network.  Read more about P2P software.

UD Fair and Acceptable Use Policy

Connecting to the UDSL Network

Once your computer has been inspected by the UDSL Information Technology staff to determine that it meets the minimum computer configuration requirements, and you have met all other technology requirements set forth by the IT department, you will be granted access to the UDSL wireless network.

To get on the UDSL wireless network, you must first log on to a VPN. The IT staff will install the software for the VPN on your computer. Once the software is installed, you must open the VPN and enter your user ID and password (given to you by UDSL). The VPN will scan your computer (a black box will pop up during this process) and then grant you access to the network. At that point, you can open Internet Explorer and access the internet as usual.

Available Storage

Students are provided backed-up network storage through the terminal servers and NAS. The storage is provided for law school related work and not personal music or videos which slow down access time.