WIRED: Connecting Personal Computers at Lehigh

2009 Brochure

Worldwide, personal computers have become integral to the process of research and learning. On campus Library and Technology Services (LTS) provides over 600 computers in labs across campus for student use. All students who bring personal computers to campus automatically participate in the WIRED Program (World-wide Information Resources in Every Dorm). The cost for participation in the WIRED Program is included in Lehigh’s Technology Fee, which is assessed of all full-time students and is used for the support and improvement of student computing services at Lehigh.

Read on to find out about bringing a computer to Lehigh.

Benefits

Direct, High-speed Access to the Internet and Lehigh Network (LAN): Our LAN employs a Gigabit backbone, and offers internet bandwidth many times faster than a standard DSL or cable-modem connection.
Microsoft Office 2007: The latest version of the MS Office suite for PCs and Macs is available to all students via download. The suite includes Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access, OneNote and Outlook.
Symantec Antivirus: One of the best anti-virus software packages available today (PC/Macintosh). Students will continue to receive program updates for as long as they are a student at Lehigh.
Network Storage Space: 500 MB of backup-protected LAN disk space for file storage and 1GB for Lehigh e-mail accounts
Laser Printers: Students share access to laser printers in each Residence hall and at computer labs across campus.
Secure Wireless Networking: At many locations on campus, students have access to Lehigh’s secure wireless network.
Assistance with Computer Problems: Students can receive 1-on-1 assistance with computer problems from specially-trained students known as "WIRED Consultants".

What Kind of Computer to Bring?

Students who will be bringing their current computer to campus should make sure that the computer meets the minimum requirements for use at Lehigh. These requirements ensure that a computer will be able to run all the necessary software used in everyday coursework.

Minimum Hardware Recommendations	Supported Operating Systems
(In order to perform the best within the campus computing environment)	(In order to get the most from support staff)
1.6GHz or higher CPU; 1GB RAM; DVD drive	Windows XP Windows Vista Mac OS X 10.4 or higher

Students with Macs should consult the Web site: www.lehigh.edu/mac for information about using Macs at Lehigh.

Purchasing a New Computer
Library and Technology Services (LTS) recommends that students who will be purchasing a new computer choose from its list of recommended vendors.

Lehigh is an authorized repair center for each of those manufacturers, and can perform in-warranty repairs for each of them. Students with hardware problems can get assistance directly from Lehigh without the delay involved in contacting the manufacturer’s technical support system.*

Important: In order to qualify for warranty repair by Lehigh, the recommended brand computer must have been purchased directly from the manufacturer, either by phone or through the manufacturer’s Web site. For computers purchased from retail stores such as Staples, Best Buy or Circuit City, Lehigh cannot perform any type of warranty repair, because the warranties are provided by the store and not the manufacturer.

Special Pricing
To take advantage of special pricing for Lehigh students, one should use the following Web site:

www.lehigh.edu/computing/buy

This Web site contains links to each of the vendor’s customized Web sites for Lehigh. Each vendor’s site allows computer systems to be configured with discount pricing as well as providing complete bundled systems with similar discounts.

New Computer Configurations
For those purchasing new computers, we feel that it’s wise to go beyond the minimum requirements to help ensure that a student’s computer remains useful throughout their time at Lehigh. The table below lists features that LTS feels are reasonably priced and will provide good value for several years.

Purchasing Recommendations for New Computers - April 2009
Feature	Target
Operating System	See the Operating Systems Page
Processor	2+ GHz
Memory	2 GB RAM
Hard Drive	120 GB (200+ for Desktops)
Optical Drive	DVD writer (RW, +R, or -R)
Video Memory	256 MB
Warranty	3-4 yr. Extended from Mfr.

To Do

Before Arriving On-campus
Before arriving there are several steps a student could take to prepare their computer for use at Lehigh. These steps include installing the University provided antivirus software, securing the computer for Internet access and choosing a method for backing up important data. The steps are covered in detail in the document Preparing and securing your computer for use at Lehigh on the WIRED Web site (www.lehigh.edu/wired/securecomputer)

Arriving On-campus
When students arrive on campus they should go to the LTS Information Fair before setting up and connecting their computers. The Fair will be held in the Fairchild-Martindale Library from August 20th through 21st. At the Fair students can pick up the following:

- Instructions and software necessary for connecting to Lehigh’s network
- A 2GB Lehigh-branded flash drive
- Instructions on how to obtain computer assistance as well as a schedule of when help is available.

During the School Year
If, during the school year, a student has a computer problem or question, assistance is available from the WIRED Program. To obtain assistance a student simply needs to request help using the online request form on the WIRED Web site, or visit the WIRED Desk in room 181 of the Computing Center

Questions about WIRED
Students and parents are encouraged to explore the WIRED website for more information about the program. The Web site contains a First-year Student FAQ with answers to many of the typical questions that freshmen and parents have asked in the past. If you have specific questions please feel free to contact us directly.