Internet Access

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Computers

The clinic has 3 Macintosh eMac computers located on the first floor. You may use these computers to access your web mail (yahoo, gmail, aol webmail, hotmail, etc..), or to browse the Internet.

We also have a few Macintosh laptops (12" iBooks) for use at the clinic; if you need one of these for the day, please contact Syd and he will work with you on this.

The Macs all run Mac OS X Tiger. You may log into the Macintoshes using the username "volunteer", and the password "volunteer". Both firefox and safari web browsers are installed on these machines, and can be used to access webmail or the Internet.

If you have questions about how to log on, or use the Macs, then see me, and I can help you. I'll also be happy to explain to you why I chose Macintosh over Windows for our clinic systems.

When using the eMacs, please follow these simple rules:

  • Login in as user thousandsmiles. Do not add a personal account on these machines, it will be erased if you do.
  • Do not use the browser to save user names or passwords on any sites you visit. Unless you want others to be able to access your e-mail, bank statements, and so on, it wouldn't be a good idea to leave your passwords on the system.
  • Be sure to log off of any websites you visit (for the same reasons cited above).
  • In fact, you should make it a habit of closing the browser, and logging off of the Mac.
  • If you did something particularly sensitive, I can help you to clear the browser cache, cookies, and history (just ask)
  • Do not download or install software. Restrict your use to the browsers and software already on the systems. If you need a particular piece of software installed, send mail to thousandsmilesmail@yahoo.com and let us know.

Network

We encourage you to bring your own laptops or PDAs, and use them to connect to the Internet via our network. Compared to connecting from the eMacs, it is far more secure (no need to avoid saving passwords, or resetting the browser to get rid of sensitve information if you are using your own equipment).

The clinic network supports both wired and wireless connections, and provides direct access to the Internet. IP addresses will be automatically assigned via DHCP, regardless of the type of connection method used.

Wired Access

In order to access the network with a wired connection, you will need to bring your own cable. A hub with 8 ports is located next to the Macintoshes, and at the other end of the building there is a hub with four ports taped to the filing cabinet that you can plug into.

Wireless Access

There are currently two (2) wireless hubs in the clinic. The first of these is located close to the storage room, near the Machintoshes, hanging from the ceiling. The IP addresses assigned from this hub start at 192.168.1.100. Its SSID is "thousandsmiles".

The second hub is taped to the metal filing cabinet on the other end of the clinic. IP addresses assigned from this hub start at 192.168.13.100. Its SSID is "thousandsmiles2".

Which hub you choose to use depends on which end of the clinic you plan to work from. If you are located closest to the charting area and eMacs, the wireless signal will be stronger coming from the "thousandsmiles" hub. If you are closer to the stairs, on the other end of the clinic, then you will get a stronger signal from the "thousandsmiles2" hub.

Neither hub is protected by WEP. To use our wireless hubs, you must determine your hardware (or MAC) address, and then find me (Syd). I will then program your hardware address into the hub, allowing you to connect.

Determining Your MAC Address

How you determine your hardware (MAC) address depends mainly on the operating system. Instructions are given below for Linux, Windows, and MacOS X. If you have some other kind of system (e.g., a PDA), then bring it to me and I will help you figure it out.

Windows XP

To determine your hardware MAC address, do the following:

  • Click on the Start menu, and select Control Panel.
     (You may need to choose Settings before Control Panel, depending on your Start Menu configuration.)
  • Double click on Network and Internet Connections.
     (Skip this step if you do not see this Control Panel item.)
  • Double click on Network Connections.
  • Double click on Local Area Connection.
  • Click on the Support tab and then click on the Details button.
  • The Hardware Address is labeled Physical Address.

MacOS X

  • Click on the System Preferences item in the dock.
  • In the Internet & Network section, click on the Network icon.
  • In the "Show" menu, select "Airport"
  • Your hardware address is labeled "Airport ID:"

Linux

At a prompt, type the following:

$ /sbin/ifconfig

Look for the device corresponding to your wireless card/device, likely wlan0. The hardware address will be displayed in that section, similar to the following output:

[syd@redhat9 syd]$ /sbin/ifconfig
wlan0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:40:2B:46:39:92 
         inet addr:192.168.1.123  Bcast:192.168.1.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
         UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
         RX packets:133436 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
         TX packets:6297 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
         collisions:1615 txqueuelen:100
         RX bytes:15820993 (15.0 Mb)  TX bytes:3830224 (3.6 Mb)
         Interrupt:9 Base address:0x3000
lo        Link encap:Local Loopback 
         inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
         UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
         RX packets:572 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
         TX packets:572 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
         collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
         RX bytes:64012 (62.5 Kb)  TX bytes:64012 (62.5 Kb)


Printers

There are two printers located at the clinic. Both are located on the first floor. One is located on the cabinet near the charts/eMacs, and the other is located on the other end of the clinic, near the metal filing cabinet and the stairs.

The printers are both HP 1320 network enabled laserjet printers. They print black and white, and they are relatively fast and very reliable.

If you are plugged into the router near the stairs, the IP address of your printer is 192.168.13.105. If you are plugged into the router near the charts/eMacs, the IP address of the printer is 192.168.1.104.

To access the printer, you need to add the printer to your computer. Again, how this is done varies by operating system. It's easiest if you are using a Macintosh (Macs are just plainer easier no matter what you are doing). Here are the instructions for each operating system:

Windows XP

  • From the Start menu, select Settings->Printers and Faxes
  • Double click the Add Printer icon.
  • Click the Next button
  • Select Local printer attached to this computer
  • Click Next
  • Select the Create a new port radio button, and from the Type of Port: menu, select Standard TCP/IP Port. And then click Next. This will cause a new wizard to display.
  • Click Next
  • Enter either 192.168.1.104 or 192.168.13.105 in the Printer Name or IP Address field, depending on which hub you are connected to. You also should make sure that the printer is powered on (see me if you need help) before doing this step, as Windows will try to connect.
  • Leave the Port Name field alone, as it will be preassigned by Windows XP.
  • Click Next, then click Finish.

You can repeat the above steps to set up for the other printer in the clinic (but you will need to connect to the corresponding hub)

Once configured, you can select the printer from the Print Setup menu of your application, before printing, and print to it.

Mac OS X

Mac OS X, being the great operating system that it is, will automatically detect the printer located on the network you are connected to. You can choose the printer by selecting Page Setup in your application's File menu.

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