This document contains frequently asked questions about the student computing environment at Theological College. Please check this document periodically for new information.
You need an Ethernet patch cable of type CAT5e or CAT6 to connect your computer to the network port in your room. Theological College will provide a cable if you do not have one.
Your computer network port is located on the back of desktop machines and on the back or on the side of notebook computers. If you have a modem port on your notebook computer, the network port is usually located next to it; the network port is the slightly larger of the two.
Each computer on the Theological College network must be registered so that it can be assigned an IP address.
To register your computer, Theological College staff will need to know your computer's network adaptor "MAC" (physical) address. This is normally found on a sticker on the back or bottom of your computer. Or you can find it in Microsoft Windows by opening a Command Prompt, issuing command ipconfig /all and then looking for the Physical Address of your Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection.
Once your computer has been registered, its assigned IP address will be obtained automatically each time it is started up on the Theological College network.
For this automatic assignment to occur, your computer settings need to be configured properly. Use the following steps to do this.
Click the Start button.
In the resulting Local Area Connection Properties window, highlight Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties.If you have a different version of Windows such as Vista, or if you are using Mac OS X, you use a procedure similar to the one above to configure your connection.
The three most important steps you can take to keep your computer safe are as follows.
It is very important to do all three of these steps before you use your computer to browse the Internet!
For detailed information on how implement these steps, and for other ways to keep your computer safe, please read the "Safe Computing Practices" document on the CUA web site.
Through its affiliation with The Catholic University of America, Theological College is able to make McAfee VirusScan with Anti-Spyware Module available free of charge to resident students on the antivirus page of the CUA computing web site.
In order to download the software using the link above, you will need to know your student CUA network logon username and password. See below for more information about your CUA network logon account.
The name (SSID) of the Theological College wireless network and the password if needed is given on a poster on the inside of the student lounge doors, and in the student computer lab. You will need this name and password in order to connect your wireless-capable computer to the network.
The wireless networking at Theological College uses encryption to protect your communication. Please note the instructions on the door poster for configuring your computer to use the proper encryption settings.
Some wireless computers or adaptors come with their own software for detecting and connecting to wireless networks. Others use the Microsoft Windows network connection wizard. Please check the documentation provided with your system to determine how to get connected wirelessly.
No. Only College-owned network equipment may be attached to the College network, since such equipment can interfere with the normal operation of the network. This means that you may not attach your own routers, switches, hardware firewalls, wireless access points or other network equipment.
No. Your computer, whether running a server operating system or not, must not offer any services designed to be accessed from other computers on the network. This includes, but is not limited to, web server applications, file sharing programs, e-mail services and remote logon services.
If you are a student at The Catholic University of America, your @cardinalmail.cua.edu e-mail account was created when you matriculated. Cardinal Mail is CUA's implementation of Google Apps Education Edition, and uses the familiar Google Gmail interface. You retain use of your Cardinal Mail e-mail account after graduation. To learn how to use Cardinal Mail for the first time, please visit the "Log on to CUA Computer Accounts" page. Please note that your Cardinal Mail password is distinct from your CUA network logon password; the two are completely separate accounts.
If you are not a CUA student but are attending Theological College, you can get a general CUA e-mail address for use while you are at Theological College. This address is not retained once you are no longer attending Theological College. CUA e-mail is accessed through the CUA Webmail interface at mail.cua.edu and uses your CUA network logon username and password as credentials.
The Theological College student lab is located on the third floor and has the same set of software as the computers in the main CUA student labs.
The computers run Microsoft Windows XP Professional, and have Microsoft Office installed. Two web browsers are included: Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. Various other academic applications also are included such as Autodesk AutoCAD, Microsoft Visual Studio and SPSS.
One of the computers in the Theological College student lab is further equipped with assistive technologies that can be used by students with and without disabilities.
Important! The computers in the student lab have a software configuration management feature that works to keep the computer in good working order. Each time the computer restarts, its configuration is returned to a known good state. Anything that was changed or stored on the local hard drive is removed. This means that you must not store your files on the local hard drive of lab computers, as the files will be removed when the computer restarts. Instead, you should store your files on removable storage such as a USB flash drive. Popular USB flash drives include the SanDisk Cruzer, Lexar JumpDrive and Kingston DataTraveler. Students may purchase USB flash drives in the CUA Bookstore or at any computer or electronics store.
Lab computers that employ software configuration management undergo automatic software maintenance for a one hour period between 3:00 and 5:00 am. This allows operating system updates to be installed, antivirus patterns to be updated and other software changes made. You cannot use the computer while maintenance is being performed. Several minutes before the maintenance begins, you will receive a pop-up warning message. When you receive this warning message, you must immediately save your work to your removable storage device, as the computer is about to restart for maintenance. If you stored files on the local hard drive of the lab computer, those files will be lost.
The Theological College student lab is accessed using the same CUA network logon account that is used to access computers on the CUA campus. See below for more information about your CUA logon accounts.
The student lab on the third floor is equipped with an HP LaserJet printer. To use this printer, log onto a computer in the lab using your CUA network logon account. The printer in the lab is named "HP LaserJet 4050" and should be visible in the Windows Control Panel printer section.
Paper and toner for the printer is provided by Theological College. If the printer runs out of toner, please submit an online service request at help.cua.edu to have the toner cartridge replaced. Do not attempt to replace the cartridge yourself.
The computer lab has a fax machine that is maintained by the student government. There are instructions for using the fax machine taped to the desk near the machine. You must use a calling card to send a long distance fax.
The computer lab has a copier that is maintained by the student government. You may need a card to operate the copier.
As a student at Theological College, you have three separate accounts that are used to access various computing technologies.
Please visit the "Log on to CUA Computer Accounts" page for information about how to log onto these accounts for the first time and how to resolve forgotten passwords.
You can visit the CUA Center for Planning and Information Technology computing web site for information about using the CUA network. Click on the Getting Started link on the left side of the page.
When choosing passwords for these accounts, be sure to select a strong passphrase.
Don't use the same password for different purposes. For example, the password you use for your network logon account, the password for your e-mail account, the password for your online banking website and the password you use to log onto a recreational or news website should all be completely different.
Do not share your passwords with anyone else, including CPIT support staff. If someone learns one of your passwords, change it immediately. Never (!!) send your password or other personal information such as your Social Security Number in e-mail.
Computer and network support for Theological College students is provided by The Center for Planning and Information Technology (CPIT) at The Catholic University of America.
CPIT provides several options for obtaining assistance that are described on the CUA computing web site, including calling the computer Information Center at (202) 319-4357 (-HELP) during its operating hours Mon-Fri 8am-9pm, or entering a support ticket online at help.cua.edu any time.
CUA ResNet provides a free, best-effort carry-in service to assist students with virus, spyware and other software problems with their personally-owned computers that run Windows Vista, Windows XP or Mac OS X. To take advantage of this service, bring your notebook with power supply or your desktop system unit to Leahy 200 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.
Telephone and cable television support for students is provided by Theological College. If you have a problem with your telephone or cable television, please fill out a help form in the business office (Suite 100).