Technology Services
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Welcome to Dickinson's Computer Network
- Where to get help
- Network Anatomy
- The network and you
- NT Network
- The Internet
- The World-Wide Web
- Blackboard
Where to get help
- If you have a computer question or problem, contact the Library and Information Services Help Desk (x1000) or send an email message to helpdesk@dickinson.edu.
- Visit the LIS Technology Services home page for a good starting place.
- Check out the current training schedule here and tutorials here.
Network Anatomy
Attempting
to understand the network can be a somewhat confusing and daunting
task for new employees, so we'll try to simplify it. The network
is not one physical thing located somewhere specific on campus.
Rather, it is a collection of things scattered at various placed
across campus. Just like our physical brain controls our nervous
system and sends signals to other body parts, such as our legs, arms,
eyes, ears and fingers, our campus network has a central control point
called the backbone. Without getting into too
much tech-talk, the backbone consists of two major pieces of equipment
-- a router and a switch. All network components ultimately
tie into this backbone, or brain. Ah, but there's much more!
Fiber optic cable extends underground to key places on campus so that outlying buildings and residence halls can connect to the network. Within each building or residence hall, there is wiring which connects the individual offices and rooms. If you look around, you will no doubt see a plastic wall plate into which phone-like cable is plugged. This is where your computers and printers "hook up" to the campus network, and why you have network access from your computer.
One more thing. The Internet is that marvelous entity which allows us to send email to each other and friends around the world, as well as browse the world-wide web. Most people are familiar with the fact that if you want to get connected to the internet from home, you must pay for the service from companies like AOL, EarthLink or Cumberlink, to name a few. Dickinson is no different. We, too, have an internet service provider.
The network and you
So how do you fit into this network scheme? Your desktop PC or Macintosh software has been made ready to utilize the network by adding additional hardware, if necessary, and configuring the appropriate software. Sure enough, if you look behind your computer, you will find a cable, which is similar to a telephone cable, running from the CPU (Central Processing Unit) to the wall plate housing your network wiring.
Now, because you have this connection, you can access other machines and services on Dickinson's campus-wide network. For instance, you can log in to a computer and read email, or you can share a laser printer with others in your office, or you can browse the world-wide web!
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NT-Network
Another major piece of the Dickinson campus-wide network is the NT network, which is really a combination of many computers, servers, printers and cabling. Every employee having access to a personal computer (Mac or PC) at their desk, has a network connection. The NT network allows users to share computer files, such as Microsoft Word or Excel documents, with other colleagues around campus. Another benefit of the NT network is the ability to share more expensive, high-quality laser printers or color printers in an office or department.
There are several servers in this NT network, each serving a particular group of users or a particular function. Think of it this way -- when you are at a restaurant eating dinner, your server finds out what you want and takes your order, then the server brings your food to your table. The NT servers perform a similar function -- you request to open or save a document and the server either retrieves it for you or takes it and stores it. When you want to send a document to the printer, a server sends that request to the appropriate printer.
Every user of the network has a network login and network password, which grants them access to use the NT network. To avoid adding more confusion, your login name will always be the same for any account at Dickinson College. Normally, most users log into their network accounts when they start their computer at the beginning of each day, then logout of the network when the computer is shut down.
While many accounts utilize the same server,
there is little need to be concerned about the confidentiality of
your files. The NT server employs sophisticated file security
to make sure users are only granted access to those areas they need.
For instance, the ADMIN server contains a folder for each department
which utilizes it. Members of one department cannot get in
and open the departmental folder of another. When a person
opens up their office folder, they will see individual folders for
each alphabet. Find the letter that starts your username.
Again, while they can see the users in the list, the cannot
actually get in and access the folders. That type of permission
is denied to them. But each departmental folder contains a shared folder, which can be accessed by all within a given
department, for the purposes of sharing necessary files.
Example of the Network folder structure at Dickinson College.
The Internet
The Internet is the vast collection of computers around the world which are connected together via some form of communications link (cable, satellite, etc.). Each one of these computers has a unique internet domain name, or address. Whenever you send email to a colleague at another college or organization, in addition to the user's internet name, you must also supply the unique domain name of the computer where their account resides. For instance, dickinson.edu is Dickinson's domain name. Using the various communications links between your computer here and their computer there, your email message bounces from computer to computer, taking a particular route to get from Point A to Point B. If it helps, visualize the internet as a highway system which interconnects computers around the world.
World-Wide Web
Now that we have a vast connection of computers world-wide, how can we share information with one another most efficiently? Some people use PCs, others use Macs, and still others use workstations or terminals. Each of these platforms works independently of one another, so whatever method we use, it should be platform independent. This is one of the biggest strengths of the web. Someone can create documents using a Mac, and someone using a PC can instantly read them. The web breaks the incompatibility barrier! The World-Wide Web is one of the vehicles which travels on the highway system. In other words, it's a service of the internet. Just as there are different types of vehicles which travel a real highway system (cars, trucks, motorcycles, etc.), there are other services which utilize the internet.
All employees with a network connection may access the World-Wide Web using browsing software like Microsoft Internet Explorer. Each employee also has the ability to create their own personal web page, as well as assist in the development of departmental web pages. For an overview on creating web pages click here.
Blackboard Course Management System
Dickinson employs the Blackboard Course Management System to provide online course materials and support. Any faculty member may request to have a Blackboard course site created for any course that they are teaching. LIS staff will help faculty to set up their Blackboard course site, create and insert materials into the course, and provide insights into the best pedagogical uses of Blackboard. Click here for more details and requested your course be set up here.
Last updated on:
Thursday, July 24, 2008 9:24 AM
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