Lab hours are as follows:

Staffed Labs in Studebaker West, Woodworth and the Technology Centers in LaFollette and Noyer are open Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-Midnight; Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Saturday-Sunday, Noon-Midnight. (These labs are also closed on holidays and during break periods.)

Unstaffed Labs in LaFollette (not including the Technology Center), Elliott, DeHority, Studebaker East are open during the same hours as the hall desk for the area or building.

Wired Internet Access in Your Room
Students may bring computers to their on-campus home. If you are considering purchasing a computer, please check with the academic department of which you plan to major in for their recommendations or requirements on the platform and software you will need. (Helpful information, along with pricing information through the university's vendors, is available on the Web at www.bsu.edu/technology under the parents/family area.)

When determining the right system for you, keep the following information in mind: In order to ensure the best possible outcome for connecting your computer to the campus network, we strongly suggest Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, or Vista for your PC-compatible computer. Although students have used non-Windows XP systems on campus, Microsoft.com no longer provides detailed support for older operating systems like Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows Millennium. For your Apple Macintosh computer, we suggest System OS X or OS X.3.

Each residence hall room has a direct hookup to the Internet (and wireless access throughout the building), although you may need to purchase an SMC Ethernet card (10 BASE-T or 10/100 BASE-T) and an RJ45 connection cable. Students also should bring a UL approved power strip with a built-in circuit breaker to use with the computer equipment. (See the area below for Wireless Internet information.)

If both roommates would like to connect to the Internet, they must purchase a 5-port switch to allow people to connect two computers at once using one Ethernet connection in your residence hall room. (The Microsoft, D-Link, and Netgear switches are recommended for use with Ball State's networking system.)

You may purchase Ethernet cards and 5-port switches from computer stores or on the Internet. Be sure to purchase an Ethernet card using the specifications listed above. We encourage students and families to purchase and install Ethernet cards before coming to Ball State in the fall.  

Please do not purchase a router in place of a 5-port switch. Some retailers may try to sell you a router as a substitute but if you attempt to use one it will not be compatible with the BSU residence halls networking equipment and may not allow other students in your residence hall to access the Internet.

Wireless Internet Access in Your Room
To access the wireless network, a computer needs to be equipped with a wireless network card that is 802.11g compatible. Once a card is installed, appropriate settings need to be made.  Please note that there are 802.11a cards on the market, but these will NOT work with Ball State's wireless network.
    
We recommend a Cisco brand wireless card or Apple's built-in Airport card. These cards have been proven to provide more reliable service. They have the best signal and speed and have the highest power rating. Cisco cards provide the best support for roaming between access points without losing the signal. Because they provide such superior connectivity, Cisco cards are the only cards that will be fully supported by University Computing Services. Cisco cards are available to University employees and students at an educational discount. For assistance ordering one, contact UCS by calling 765-285-5967.