Visitor Internet Access

If you are a Magdalen visitor staying in our accommodation, and if you've brought your own computer, you can access the Internet from your room. Note that this does not apply to members of the public visiting Magdalen as tourists.

What you need

Your computer will need a wired Ethernet socket (also known as Local Area Connection, LAN, network, NIC, RJ-45, 10BASE-T, or a 10/100 socket).

Wireless Internet access (also known as Wi-Fi or Wireless LAN) is not available is most parts of Magdalen. You should not attempt to plug in your own Wireless Access Point.

It is your responsibility to:

  • ensure that your computer can safely plug into a UK mains socket, maybe by using an adapter
  • keep your computer secure, such as by having up-to-date anti-virus software, and by keeping your computer operating system up-to-date (for example, by using Windows Update). The Magdalen Visitor Internet Service does not have its own firewall protection.

You will be provided with an Ethernet lead and a Oxford Visitor Network username and password. If you have not received an Ethernet lead or username and password, you can pick one up from your conference or summer school organiser, or from the Home Bursary. Please use the provided lead instead of any lead that you may already have, as other leads may not work. Please return the lead at the end of your stay.

Connecting to the service

To use the service, plug the Ethernet lead into your computer and into the appropriate wall socket. Every room has an Ethernet socket, although you may have to hunt for it. The Ethernet lead will only fit into an Ethernet socket, not a phone or fax socket.

With the lead in place you should now run a web browser, for example, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari or Chrome. Whichever web page you try to visit, you should instead see a page which will ask you to logon, using the username and password on the piece of paper provided.

Using the service and rules

You can use the Magdalen College Visitor Internet Access Service to browse the web only. You should not attempt to use high-bandwidth software such as downloading music or movies, or use Internet telephony, as that will slow down the service for all current Magdalen visitors.

Setting up, troubleshooting, and support

If you find that you cannot make a connection straight away then you may need to tweak some of your computer's settings, especially if you have previously connected your computer to another Ethernet network or used dial-up Internet access.

Detailed instructions are below but in general your Ethernet settings will need to be set to 'Obtain an IP address automatically', which is also known as 'DHCP'. If you have previously used a dial-up modem then you may also need to tell you computer to not dial-up while in Magdalen. You also need to make sure your computer is not trying to use a 'proxy server'.

Instructions for how to check and change these settings are below. You should make a note of the previous settings so that you can change back to them when you leave.

Windows XP and Windows 2000:

  • Click on Start / Settings / Control Panel / Network Connections
  • Right-click on 'Local Area Connection' and choose Properties
  • Click on Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click the Properties button
  • Select 'Obtain an IP Address Automatically' and 'Obtain DNS server address automatically'
  • Click OK twice to save the settings and close the windows
  • Click on Start / Settings / Control Panel / Internet Options
  • Click on the Connections tab
  • Choose 'Never dial a connection'
  • Click 'LAN Settings'
  • Make sure all tick-boxes are unticked
  • Click OK twice to save the settings and close the windows

Mac OS X:

  • Open System Preferences / Network
  • Chose Show -> Built In Ethernet
  • Click TCP/IP
  • Choose 'Using DHCP' from the Configure IPv4 menu
  • You may need to restart your computer after changing the above settings.

If your computer still does not work then you should double-check that the Ethernet lead is firmly plugged into both your computer and the wall socket. The lead should 'click' into the socket both ends. You can obtain another Ethernet lead if you think your one is faulty. If you are able to try your computer in another Visitor Ethernet socket (such as in another visitor's room), that will help determine whether the fault is with your computer or with the wall socket.

The College is not able to offer support for the setup or use of your computer, other than providing the instructions above. If the fault is determined to be in your wall socket then the College will attempt to fix it, although no timescales are guaranteed.