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University of Manchester: Hornet
From The Student Room WikiTSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > University of Manchester > Hornet
Basic InformationHornet (Halls of Residence NETwork) provides internet service to all halls of residence run by the University of Manchester, as well as a few selected private halls, listed here. This page does not cover HornetPlus, which is a separate ISP for students living in private houses. Connected rooms are fitted with a RJ45 socket that provides a 10Mbps connection. There is no cap to the amount of data that users can send or receive over the network. However, the university does actively police the network for users whose computers are displaying erratic behaviour and making excessive use of the network resources, and users who break the T&Cs may be fined, disconnected and/or prosecuted as appropriate. A Hornet connection provides:
The service includes rental of the line for the specified period and full support. The connection period is until you leave the Hall, or until the start of the new academic year, whichever is the earlier - so if you stay in Hall over the vacation periods, including the summer, you'll still have the connection. Connection transfers between university-managed halls are possible and involve no extra cost. However, it is not possible to transfer connections between private and university-managed halls or vice versa How to connectRegistrationIn order to activate the internet in your room you need to register with Hornet using the student portal. Depending on which hall you live in, and which uni you study at, the sign up process differs.
If you're registering at the start of a new academic year, you won't be able to register your account or activate your connection until the portal opens for that years' registration. This date is set and publicised by Hornet (and at the time of writing was not yet known for 2008), but is often at the start of Fresher's week.
You can sign up in university clusters, the libraries, or by using a mate's internet connection. There are also a few terminals placed around in the halls themselves, in these locations. Before you try signing up, make sure you have the following details at hand:
If you are not a UoM or a MMU student then you'll only need a valid email address and the rest of the details. You also need:
If you are living in University of Manchester halls then after registration a confirmation email will be sent to your University email address and you'll need to click on the link to finalize registration. If however, you are living in a private hall, then after registration you will need to go to reception and pay the connection fee. If you have any problems after you've registered through the portal, log back into the portal and report a problem to the Hornet team who will contact you via the same site. Hornet usually run information sessions during Freshers' Week each year, to answer any questions that residents may have about Hornet, the registration process, sell patch cables and offer support for the service. These take place in certain halls, and Hornet also often have a stand at the Freshers' Fair. What cable will I need?You'll need an Ethernet patch cable (Cat 5 - RJ45). This should fit directly into both the data socket in your wall and your computer's networking card. Be careful that you don't try to use an Ethernet crossover cable - these are used for connecting two PCs together, and will not work with Hornet. The correct cables can be bought from both Manchester and MMU's students' unions, IT Services, and local computer supplies shops (such as Maplins - opposite the BBC on Oxford Road), as well as elsewhere. If you buy your cable from a shop, or bring one from home, make sure it's of the right type! Can't I use wireless?No. Hornet has a strict and actively enforced policy against student-run wireless networks. The short explanation can be found here, a longer, more technical explanation here. The university has its own WiFi network, avaible in the Main Library and many other university buildings, but neither this nor commercial WiFi networks currently extend to University halls. For information on accessing these elsewhere on campus, see here. What's a MAC address, and how on earth do I find mine?Every network device has a MAC address (Media Access Control) to uniquely identify themselves on a network. Hornet provide a good guide on how to find out yours. Click Here Check the safety & security of your computerBefore you connect to the network you must make sure that your computer is safe and secure. Failure to do so may often lead to a disconnection and in certain circumstances a reconnection fee. It is essential to have:
Frequently Asked QuestionsHow do I change my MAC address on the portal?Login through the Hornet Web Portal (located on the left hand side of this page) with your username and password. When you're in, click on 'Show Further Details' on the left hand side below your details, and then click on 'Change Details'. From there you will be able to change your MAC address. Remember to submit the new details at the end. It says my MAC address is already in use, what do I do?Please make sure you have got the correct MAC address, you may have misread or mistyped in yours. Quite recently, with the release of Windows Vista, a lot of people tried to register with the MAC address 02-00-54-55-4E-0 . This is the first thing that appears after typing in 'ipconfig/all' but it isn't the correct one. You will need to scroll up to the heading 'Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection'. If however there is another person with the same MAC address as you, then log the problem on the portal (If you haven't registered yet, just register with a made up MAC address so that you can log the problem). Are any VOD (Video on Demand) services allowed - like BBC iPlayer or 4oD?No. This webpage explains more about Hornet's policy on streaming video. How do I set up my Xbox 360 to connect to Xbox Live?Fortunately with the 360 there is an option to change its MAC address. What most people do is register with their laptop/deskptop MAC address and change the 360's MAC to match it. This way you will only have to swap the cables round between the two devices. Please note you are not allowed to have any routers, switches, hubs in order to connect multiple devices. How do I set up my PS3 to connect to PSN?Unfortunatey with the PS3 there is no option to change its MAC address. In this case you will have to register the PS3's MAC address on the portal and change your laptop/desktop's MAC to match it. Note: There are currently some connectivity issues with the game Call of Duty 4 on the PS3. It will work for some users but for others it will get stuck on the 'DOWNLOADING GAME SETTINGS'. See this news item on the Hornet website. TroubleshootingPlease note that these troubleshooting tips are for Windows based systems. Room NumberPlease check that you have registered in the correct room. Failure to do so will enable a live connection in a different room rather than yours. It will also mean that the person living in the incorrect room that you registered in won't be able to sign up as their room number won't be available on the list. Unfortunately, if you have realised that you have registered in the wrong room you won't be able to amend your room number yourself. Your best bet is to leave a message on the Hornet web portal stating which room you are actually living in and the Hornet Rep will be able to make amends. IP settings In order for your connection to work you must set your TCP/IP settings to 'Automatically Obtain an IP address'. To do this in Windows, go to the START menu, then RUN and type in 'ncpa.cpl'. This will take you to the network connections window. Right click on 'Local Area Connection' and select properties. Double click on 'Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)' and you'll be able to check if your IP settings are correct.
NIC DriversIn order for your Network Card to work it must have the correct drivers installed. Normally if you have brought your computer/laptop from a retailer it will have it pre-installed. In these circumstances where you computer has some drivers related fault then a Hornet Rep will be able to help and install the correct or up to date drivers for you. High Internet SecurityCertain third party internet security packages (such as Norton or Kaspersky) can block a high amount of internet traffic, and so you might find that MSN Messenger or your web browser isn't working. If you have problems with this, it might be worthwhile to lower these settings or make sure that the specific programs that you use are unblocked (the method of doing this differs between software packages - if you don't know how to do this, check with the manual or user help page for the sofftware you use). Also, although it may seem like a good idea, it isn't recommended to have two firewalls or antivirus scanners running at the same time, as they can conflict with each other and do more harm than good. Duplex Settings on NIC Your NIC duplex speed settings must be set to 'AUTO' as an incorrect settings may lead to a 'Cable Unplugged' message in Windows (Speed set too high) or an unstable connection (Speed set too low). To check the settings in Windows, go to the START menu, then RUN and type in 'ncpa.cpl'. In the Network Connections menu right click on Local Area Connection and select Properties. Next in the new window that has popped up click on the 'Configure' button and this will lead you to your NIC properties. Select the 'Advanced' tab' and you will be able to check your 'Speed & Duplex' settings on your NIC.
Local Area Connection not enabled When trying to retrieve your MAC address but after typing in 'ipconfig/all' in the command prompt and no information is displayed in regards to your Network Card then you may find that your 'Local Area Connection' is disabled.  To enable your Ethernet in Windows, go to 'START' then 'RUN' and in the box type in 'ncpa.cpl'.
When the Network Connections window has popped up, right click on 'Local Area Connection' and select 'Enable'.
Proxy Settings If you have managed to get connected (obtain an IP address) but for some reason web pages don't load then the problem might be to do with your proxy settings. Please unclear any proxy settings that you may have set up from a previous connection in order for your connection to work
Reporting a ProblemIf you have fully registered for the internet service in your room and followed our troubleshooting guides but the Internet still doesn't work in your room, then you can report a problem on the Hornet web portal. To access this portal you can either use one of the Hornet Terminals or go to the Hornet web portal Once you have logged in with your username and password on the left hand side of the page, you can open up a new problem. Remember to look back on the portal for any messages left behind by a Hornet Rep in response to your problem! (You will be emailed when a new message pops up). Current IssuesWindows Vista Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)This functionality in Vista allows multiple devices to be connected to the internet. It is believed that this function causes problematic issues on the DNS servers by overloading it with more requests than usual. As this can degrade the quality of Hornet's service it is required for all Hornet users' using Windows Vista to disable this function. Instructions can be found here |
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