Internet Access

Gordon State College offers internet access to students living in our campus residence halls (Direct-Wired) and also through wireless (Wi-Fi) access points located around campus.

• Residence Halls (Direct-Wired)
• Wireless Access (Wi-Fi)
• Eduroam
• Wireless Interference
• Internet Connection Troubleshooting Tips

Residence Halls (Direct-Wired)

Melton Hall residents only

If you would like your personal computer in your residence hall connected to the Internet, here is what you will need:

• A computer/laptop purchased within the last few years.
• An Ethernet Network Card installed in your computer. (These can be purchased at a computer store and usually come pre-installed with computers purchased from most vendors.)
• A CAT5 Ethernet Patch Cable. (These can be purchased at any computer store)
• Configure your computer's network settings (For detailed instructions see Configure a computer for Internet Access).
• All students must be familiar with the Gordon State College Policy Statement use of Computer and Software located in the Computer and Network Usage Policy.

Once you have read over the requirements and configuration instructions listed above, you should be ready to access the Internet.

Residence Hall (Direct-Wired) connections require that you register your device before you can access network resources. It is recommended that you follow these steps before you plug the device into the Ethernet (RJ-45) jack in your room.

Follow the instructions below to register your device:

1. First, you will need to determine the MAC address - sometimes referred to as the Physical Address - of the device you would like to register for wired Internet access. NOTE: This will be the MAC (Physical) address of the Ethernet adapter, not the Wireless adapter. If you are unable to locate the MAC address, here are some additional instructions for finding a MAC address on select devices: MAC Addresss Guide
2. Next, visit the website at www.gordonstate.edu/resnet/ from a Gordon State lab computer or via the campus Wi-Fi from a mobile device.
3. Read the instructions on the page referenced above and click on the 'Register a Device' button.
4. Sign in using your Gordon Network Username and Password (ex- Username: ab123456) **
5. Next, you will enter the name and MAC address of the device, agree to the terms, and click 'Create Device' on the form shown in Fig. 1 below.
6. Plug the Ethernet cable into the wall jack and then to your PC/device's Ethernet card. NOTE: This is not the same jack as a standard telephone-line.
7. Once the PC/device's MAC address is registered in our system, the PC/device will automatically connect to the wired network and should be able to access the Internet.

Fig 1.

** Make sure you have changed your password to something other than your initial password before you try to login to register your device. If you have not changed your initial password follow the instructions under "How do I reset my Network Password". You will NOT be able to login unless you change your initial password.

Wireless Access (Wi-Fi)

Gordon State College provides all students wireless internet access around many locations on the Gordon State College campus. The wireless "hot spots" or WiFi access points on campus include most of the public areas around campus as well as the majority of our academic classrooms and administrative offices. Public areas include the lobby and hallway areas inside the buildings and greenspaces surrounding most of our facilities. Wireless is also available in our Residence Halls. If you would like your computer and/or mobile device to connect to the Internet from these wireless "hot spots", here is what you will need:

• A laptop or mobile device purchased within the last few years.
• Wireless Adapter (Network) Card with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatibility (Most all mobile devices now have support for WiFi).
• All students must be familiar with the Gordon State College Policy Statement use of Computer and Software located in the Computer and Network Usage Policy

Once you have read over the requirements, you should be ready to access the wireless network.

NOTE: Only the Gordon State College website can be accessed without having to authenticate on the network. If you attempt to access a website other than the Gordon State website (i.e, www.google.com), you will be redirected to our internet access onboarding page (Fig 2).

Fig 2.

You will have two options to connect to our Wireless network from the main internet access onboarding page:

Option One: Internet Access

The "Internet Access" option provides access to the internet using your Gordon Network Username and Password (ex- Username: ab123456). This type of connection will remain for the duration your device is connected to the wireless signal or "hot spot". If you lose connection to the Wi-Fi, you will need to login again. This method will primarily be used for visitors or for devices that you do not wish to register (limited to 3 device registrations - see 'Register Device" information below).

1. Click the Internet Access button.
2. Enter your Gordon network username and password, accept the terms, and Log In (Fig 3).
3. You will now be redirected to the page you are trying to access outside of the Gordon website.

Fig. 3

Option Two: Register Device

The "Register Device" option will provide access to the internet after you register that device's MAC address (i.e. laptop, smartphone, gaming system, etc). Each user is allowed to register up to four (4) devices.

Click here to view the GSC WiFi Connectivity Instructions

Eduroam

Gordon State College participates in the eduroam international roaming service.  This service allows all GSC faculty, staff, and students to access Wifi at any participating instituion in the world.  In addition, any guests visting Gordon from a participating instituion can access Wifi service on campus.

Connecting to eduroam

1. Click the wifi icon in your system tray to display available networks.
2. Select eduroam from the list.
3. Click Connect
4. Enter your credentials and Click OK. Visitors should use their credentials from their home institution.
   1. Your username is your Gordon_username@gordonstate.edu For example, Harry Highlander would use harryh@gordonstate.edu.
   2. The password is your Gordon password
5. You may receive a warning message before connecting. If you are sure that you are on a legitimate eduroam network, click Connect.
   1. You can confirm all eduroam locations by visiting https://www.incommon.org/eduroam/eduroam-u-s-connectors/ or https://www.incommon.org/eduroam/eduroam-u-s-locator-map/

Wireless Interference

Over-the-air transmissions by any device at the same frequency as a Wireless access point's radio can cause interference. Wireless networks operate in bands that are used by many technologies, therefore are subject to interference. Wireless interference can significantly degrade or even prevent use of the Gordon State Wireless Network. Interference can be caused by competing devices such as routers, wireless printers, cordless phones, cell phone "hot spots", and other household appliances/electronics.

What effects does interference have on the college's wireless network?

• A decrease in signal strength and wireless range between devices
• A decrease in data throughput over wireless
• Difficulty pairing or connecting devices
• Intermittent connectivity or unexpected disconnections

How do I prevent wireless interference?

• The most common cure for interference is simply to replace or remove the offending interference device.
• Personal routers or wireless access points are not recommended as it can interfere with the Gordon State signal in your room and the surrounding area.
• Printers with WiFi enabled can cause interference so it is recommended that you turn off WiFi and connect to your printer with a cable.

What does this mean for my wired connection in the Residence Halls?

Beginning in Fall 2016, residents will be required to register each device's MAC address before they can use it through a wired Ethernet port in the Residence Halls. Residents will be able to register a MAC address from a wireless device or a GSC network-connected lab computer.

Internet Connection Troubleshooting Tips

Basic Troubleshooting

If you are still experiencing problems connecting to the Internet in your residence hall (Direct-Wired) or wireless (Wi-Fi) on campus - after following ALL of the directions outlined above - follow our troubleshooting tips below in the order they are listed until you obtain a working connection.

1. First, try restarting your Computer. Many problems can be fixed by simply rebooting your PC / Laptop.
2. If trying to connect to the Internet in your residence hall, make sure that you are using the correct ethernet cable (CAT5) and not a telephone cord.
   • Make sure that the ethernet cable is plugged in securely at both ends. Check the connection to your computer's network card and then the connection to the data jack in the wall of your room. Did both ends snap in tightly?
   • Check for a flashing green, yellow, or orange light near the network port on your computer. A colored flashing light usually means the connection is working. If this is not the case, either the network card is not configured correctly, the data jack in your room is not working, or your ethernet cable is bad.
3. Try plugging your ethernet cable into another data jack in your room such as your roommate's. It is highly unlikely that all the data jacks in the room are not functioning, unless there is a campus-wide issue.
4. Inspect your ethernet cable making sure that there are no visible signs of damage. If your connection is still not working, borrow your roommate's cable and try to connect using this cable. If you are still having problems please proceed to the Additional Windows Network Troubleshooting section below.
5. Check your IP Address by following the instructions below...
   1. For Windows 10/11, click on the Start Menu and then click on Run. Type in cmd in the Run box and click on the OK button. In Windows 10/11, you can also click on the Windows logo at the bottom-left and find the Command Prompt under Windows System > Command Prompt. Then right-click on the Command Prompt icon and choose 'Run As Administrator'. A black command prompt window with a flashing cursor will now appear.

   2. At the cursor in the command prompt window, type in the following and then press enter on your keyboard:

      ipconfig

   3. Look at your IP Address and note the following...
      1. If your IP address looks like 169.254.X.X where X is a number from 0 to 255 then your PC is not establishing a network connection.
      2. If your IP address looks like 198.168.X.X then a "rogue" DHCP server is running on the network and you should notify Computer Services immediately.

Additional Windows Network Troubleshooting

Follow these steps only after you have tried all of the steps listed in the Basic Troubleshooting section above.

Release / Renew IP Address

1. Click on the Start Menu and type in cmd in the search box and hit Enter. A black command prompt window with a flashing cursor will now appear.
2. In Windows 10/11, click on the Windows logo at the bottom-left and find the Command Prompt under Windows System > Command Prompt. Then right-click on the Command Prompt icon and choose 'Run As Administrator'.

3. At the cursor, type in the following and then press enter on your keyboard:

   ipconfig /release

   After pressing enter, you should now see on the screen that the IP Address and subnet mask is listed as 0.0.0.0.

4. Now type the following and hit enter:

   ipconfig /renew

   After pressing enter, you should now see on the screen an IP Address of 168.26.X.X where X is a number from 0 to 255. If you see this, you should be connected.

5. As a test, try opening up Gordon State College's homepage in your browser to see if you get a connection. If not, repeat the IP release and renew steps above a few more times to verify the process was completed successfully. Continue to the Flush DNS instructions below if you are still having problems.

Flush DNS

1. For Windows 10/11, click on the Start Menu and then click on Run. Type in cmd in the Run box and click on the OK button. A black command prompt window with a flashing cursor will now appear.
2. Or in Windows 10/11, click on the Windows logo at the bottom-left and find the Command Prompt under Windows System > Command Prompt. Then right-click on the Command Prompt icon and choose 'Run As Administrator'.

3. At the cursor, type in the following and then press enter on your keyboard:

   ipconfig /flushdns

   You should be able to see a confirmation message in the window stating:

   Windows IP Configuration. Successful flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.

4. Try opening up Gordon State College's homepage in your browser to see if you get a connection after flushing the DNS on your PC / Laptop.