Introduction

This document provides information on what hardware is needed to connect to the network, and what steps should be taken to connect to the Mudd 'net. For specifications and information on the dorm network, please see the the network information page.

Required Hardware/Software

PC's

Ethernet Connection

An ethernet connection is the standard connection available on campus; it may, however, require some additional hardware. An ethernet connection requires:

• A free expansion slot on your PC's motherboard. Typical desktop systems come with eight, footprint systems come with 3, and tower systems can have eight or more. Of course, with video adapters or soundcards, the total number of available slots could be less. Most recently built machines will already have the required ethernet card.
• An ethernet cable. The Bookstore has various sizes of ethernet cable.
• A working ethernet port in your room. One is already activated. If you need more than one you'll need to purchase a small hub or switch. 
• Network drivers and software. Most cards come with the needed drivers to initialize the cards.

Macintosh

Ethernet Connections

An ethernet connection is the standard connection available currently on campus; it may, however, require some additional hardware. These are the requirements:

• Most Macs have ethernet cards preinstalled. If you are not sure, check with your computer documentation or your apple system profile.
• You will need an ethernet cable which can be purchased from the Bookstore.
• A working ethernet port in your room. One is already activated. If you need more than one you'll need to purchase a small hub or switch. 

Ethernet Connections

There are essentially five steps needed to hook up to the network with an ethernet adapter.

1. First, make sure all the necessary hardware is installed and functioning. Most cards have a diagnositic utility; run this to see if everything is functional.
2. Next, you will need an IP address. An IP address is essentially the ZIP code of your computer; it is how other machines find your machine and vice versa. You were assigned an IP address when you entered Harvey Mudd.  To get an additional IP address, send a blank e-mail to ip-request@hmc.edu, and follow the instructions in the form that is returned to you.
3. If you request additional IP addresses, you will need to purchase a small hub or switch to connect the computers to the network.
4. Once you have a working port and an IP address, you can install all the necessary driver and network software to activate your ethernet card.
5. Finally, once you have an activated ethernet card, you need to get software for it. Most software to connect to the Windows file servers, like CHARLIE, come with the installed network drivers. However, specialized TCP/IP based  connections that may be needed could require additional software. Such software includes Putty for Telnet and SSH connections and Filezilla or Fetch for graphical FTP connections.

Once you have completed all these steps, you should be able to connect to the network. Please check back on the Networking documentation page for detailed instructions on configuring your computer's TCP/IP settings. If you have any problems, you can send email to helpdesk@hmc.edu or call the Help Desk at extension 7-7777.