[Tang-Residents] Fwd: [help.mit.edu #2574689] wireless request in Tang W84-7C2

[Eric Ma]

Hello Tang Residents,

I've heard back from RCC regarding poor internet connectivity, and I am
forwarding on their message to everybody.

The short story is to fill out a ticket at
http://rcc.mit.edu/help/wireless whenever
you have internet issues. I know, it sounds ironic - filling out a form on
the internet each time there's poor internet access, but these are the
"rules" of the WiFi game. Ideally, if you have information on the nearest
MIT router, then providing that information is going to help them quite a
bit.

I hope this helps.

Cheers,
Eric

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Andre Aboulian via RT <rcc-west at mit.edu>
Date: Thu, Nov 14, 2013 at 3:50 PM
Subject: [help.mit.edu #2574689] wireless request in Tang W84-7C2
To: ericmjl at mit.edu


Eric Ma,

We appreciate the work you have put in to collecting information from
residents about their network connectivity. We find that most wireless
issues are unique, even when they are within the same building. The most
effective strategy for improving connectivity for these residents would be
to have them individually file tickets at <
http://rcc.mit.edu/help/wireless>. These tickets will initiate the
process for investigating their wireless
concerns. We will collect diagnostic information from each of these
residents, taking the necessary steps, and performing site visits as needed.

Since you have indicated that you are the IT chairperson for Tang, I would
like to inform you of our process. We often ask residents to run our
Network Information Gathering Script, located at <
http://kb.mit.edu/confluence/x/DwKx >. This provides us with thorough
information about the user's machine -- including system specs and network
configurations -- and an informative listing about the wireless network
surrounding the user. By looking at this information, we can determine
signal strength, noise, and interference. If there are any non-MIT networks
present in the output of the wireless survey, we send removal requests to
the owner of these unauthorized devices. If the issue seems to concern our
network devices, there are several steps we take take to troubleshoot our
infrastructure.

Also, please be aware of the various wireless networks offered at MIT. An
important distinction with MIT's 802.11n service is that it is solely
provided on the 5.0GHz band, whereas the specification supports both 2.4
and 5.0GHz. This is intentional, as there is little interference with this
frequency. The N specification also allows for simultaneous communication,
whereas b/g requires sequential sending/receiving information among
machines. To all users who can "see" the N network on their machines --
5.0GHz-capable wireless interface and sufficient signal strength on this
network -- it is highly recommended that they connect to this network.
These are generally more reliable in terems of both speed and connectivity.
However, we understand that not all locations and devices are fit for
5.0GHz connectivity. Therefore, some 2.4GHz connections are intrinsically
slow due to the technology used. A decent amount of information can be
found at < http://kb.mit.edu/confluence/x/gYV2 >.

It would also be important to look for wireless access points (AP) that
display red indicator lights. These APs are not functioning and effectively
must be replaced. These APs should be reported at the same RCC wireless
link as above. The ticket should include identifying information about the
AP: preferably the ID string from the label of the device, otherwise a
nearby room number. These devices are usually replaced within a week.
Please also feel free to report devices with broken antennas or other
physical damage.

Please let me know if you have any further questions. We will process the
wireless requests as they come in from your residents.

--
Andre Aboulian
Residential Computing Consultant
Customer Service
MIT Information Services and Technology
http://rcc.mit.edu
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