The following information is provided with the aim of providing you with useful answers to any queries (concerning the IT connection in your room) that you may have in advance of your arrival at your University of Dundee accommodation. You might also want to look at our information for new students.
While the convenience and speed of the University of Dundee ResNet service will offer great advantages to residents, there are plenty of computing resources on campus to meet the needs of those who choose not to bring a computer to campus.
There are many computers provided in open access IT suites.
It is a good idea to bring any system installation CDs, manuals and warranty information that came with your computer. It is better to have them to hand in case you need to reinstall or reconfigure any hardware or software.
Yes - your computer or laptop must have an Ethernet network interface card installed (also known as a network adapter ) - NB practically all computers and laptops that are less than three years old have these cards installed as standard.
No - we provide a suitable cable which will be in your room when you arrive
Windows 7, Windows XP (Home and Professional) and Windows Vista (All Versions), MAC OS (most versions), Linux.
Please note that we are not able to provide guidance to students with an operating system which is NOT in English. Students with Non English Operating systems should consider the possibility of purchasing an English version of their Operating System.
Computer specifications are changing all the time - we would recommend the following as a minimum for a Desktop or Laptop Computer;
Some students prefer laptops whilst others prefer desktops. All new computers should be more than capable of handling your daily requirements. (NB - The same does not apply to second hand computers.)
The university participates in a scheme which allows you to purchase a Toshiba notebook through its cost effective University purchasing agreement - further information is available here - www.studentstore.co.uk/dundee
For those interested in Apple MAC, info on the best deals can be accessed via this site http://store.apple.com/uk_edu_5000662
No - the connection in your room is a cabled one - it requires you to connect the supplied UTP cable into your PC network card socket. The other end of this cable should already be connected to the network wall socket in your room.
There is a wireless network in place across main campus - UoD WiFi. You may wish to consider having a wireless connection on your laptop for use elsewhere on campus.
The cost is included in your rent – there is no additional connection fee.
We no longer provide a hire service due to the fall-off in demand as students prefer to bring their own equipment and we provide the facility for them to connect these to the internet. Please refer to the advice on the purchase of your own computer or laptop www.studentstore.co.uk/dundee)
We do not provide a service for printers. You can use your own printer - or there are printing facilities in the IT suites - you can print there from a USB clip using the Pay2Print service.
We do not have a fixed minimum requirement for computers. What we can state is that almost all computers that have either Windows XP or Windows Vista installed are capable of connecting to the network.
It depends on the specification of the computer and how it is currently configured. See FAQs re minimum specification. You should be aware of potential licensing issues with any software provided with the computer.
You aren't required to have a particular suite of software, but you'll find a word processor, spreadsheet and Web browser to be essential.
You may consider using Microsoft Office as this is the program used in the IT suites and by most courses for their presentations. This software retails at around £300 for the full version but a student version is available at the cheaper price of around £69.99 - NB current offers relate to Microsoft Office 2007 Home & Student Edition while the University IT suites are currently standardised on Office 2003 although there should be no real compatibility issues. To buy at student rates either take your student ID card to any reputable computer shop or alternatively buy online. Some retailers offer this software as part of a package when purchasing a new computer.
A free (open-source) alternative to purchasing Microsoft Office is OpenOffice. Further information is available at Open Office.
To access university resources on the Web, we recommend that you use a Web browser that supports HTML 3.0 or later. Microsoft Internet Explorer 8.0 and Firefox browsers exceed these specifications and are free online. Most computers have Internet Explorer pre-installed.
No. You will have to check the system requirements with those of Windows XP for compatibility and upgrade if appropriate. Please note this could be an expensive option depending on the age and specification of your machine. It may be better to consider purchasing a new machine.
All students at the University of Dundee can use the University anti-virus program and it is your responsibility to make sure that your computer is protected with this or a suitable alternative anti-virus product. Check out our Virus Protection site.
The ICS Service Desk is here to help you with any problems or questions you may have when using or trying to access any of the services we provide. If there is an issue or fault with a service or resource you are using or if you just have a question about using a service please let us know.
The Service Desk is the single point of contact in ICS and can be accessed in several ways. You can...
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