Campus
to go wireless
Jeff
Overley/On-line Forty-Niner
By
Vickie Chan
On-line Forty-Niner
Students
will be able to access wireless Internet
anywhere on campus.
According
to Steve La, director of Network Services,
wireless Internet will be available throughout
campus by summer 2004.
"By
summer 2004 [our goal] is to expand the
plan. It will be available inside the building
and outside," La said.
According
to La, the wireless Internet was originally
planned to be available anywhere on campus
by this semester. But he said that the reason
the plan was delayed was due to "lack
of technology," in preventing a way
for non-Cal State Long Beach students from
using the wireless Internet for free.
La
said the wireless Internet should only be
available to CSULB students. But in order
to do that, a secured login page needs to
be made in order to ensure that only CSULB
students are using the wireless Internet.
Before
students can use the wireless Internet,
students need to sign in their user name
and password, which is the same user name
and password used for the school's e-mail.
This allows students to identify themselves
to the school's Internet server.
La
said this would also help prevent non-CSULB
students from hacking into the wireless
Internet and sending out SPAM mail. He added
that too much SPAM mail could overload the
computer system, which will slow down the
Internet connection.
With
these new changes, senior John Nguyen says
this will be more convenient for him to
use the Internet to do research for his
classes.
"I
am so glad that this is finally going to
get started. Now I will be able to look
up things for all my classes no matter where
I am on campus," Nguyen said.
Nguyen
said this would also be easier for him to
use the Internet anytime instead of having
to wait in line to use a computer at the
University Library computer lab.
But
senior Joni Poon, who does not have a laptop,
said that she still benefits from this wireless
Internet plan anyway.
"As
a non-laptop owner, I can get the computer
that person would have gotten, like for
example, in the Horn Center. It helps to
[cut down] the long lines at the computer
labs," Poon said.
Freshman
Philip Chin said he would have to spend
about $50 in order to benefit from this
wireless Internet plan. Chin said he would
prefer continuing to use the school's Internet
ready computers.
"Well
not everyone can benefit from this. I will
have to go out and buy a wireless card so
that I can use this service. I don't know
if I want to do that," said Chin.
According
to La, the wireless Internet plan has been
fully funded through Information Technology
Services.
"As
a non-laptop owner, I can get the computer
that person would have gotten, like for
example, in the Horn Center. It helps to
[cut down] the long lines at the computer
labs."
-- Joni Poon,
CSULB student
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