Computing & Networking for Conferences

Welcome to UC Berkeley! We hope to provide you with all the information you'll need to ensure that your conference guests can have Internet connectivity during their stay with us. Please make sure to read over the following information while you plan for your event. Have a great conference!

• In-Room Connections
• Meeting Room Connections
• Wireless Connections
• Miminum Security Requirements
• Computing Center Rental

In-Room Connections

Conference guests have access to Internet connections in their sleeping rooms at no extra cost. Computers connecting to the campus network must meet UC Berkeley’s minimum security requirements . Computers that do not meet the minimum security requirements will have their Internet connection disabled without prior notice.

Please perform the following steps before your conference date to setup the Internet connections for your guests:

• Notify Conference Services at least 3 weeks in advance if your guests require Internet access from their sleeping rooms. Your Conference Coordinator will ask you to create a login username and password for their In-Room Connection registration.
• Every computer has a unique Ethernet card address (aka MAC Address, physical address, adapter address, or Ethernet address) that must be registered prior to their arrival at UC Berkeley.

Helpful Tip: For instructions on finding the Ethernet card address, please visit http://www.rescomp.berkeley.edu/infocards/?topic=finding-ethernet.

• You have the option of either collecting all of the Ethernet card addresses from your guests’ computers to register their computers for them using the registration instructions, or you can provide your guests with the registration instructions to have them register their own computers.

Computer Registration Instructions
Conference Services highly recommends having all of your guests’ computers registered before your conference date.  As the Conference Organizer, please take a moment to visit the site to check your conference’s login and password. To register your computer(s) for Internet access:

• Visit http://rescomp.berkeley.edu/conferences and log in using your conference login and password provided to you by your Conference Organizer.
• Review your conference information. If anything is incorrect, contact your Conference Organizer or email rssp-helpdesk@berkeley.edu.
• Enter each individual's name, email, phone number (optional) and Ethernet card address
• Conference guests must bring their own Ethernet cable (we recommend one at least 25ft long).

Not completing the steps outlined above can result in a delay of Internet access for your guests. Check with your Conference Coordinator if you have questions regarding the Internet registration process.

Computer Registration Process

Meeting Room Connections

Conference groups may arrange for wired Internet access in meeting rooms. Wireless connectivity may also be available in some areas. Please contact your Conference Services Coordinator for more details. Additional fees may apply.

• Internet Access in Meeting Rooms
  Most of the meeting spaces located in the residential unit complexes are wired for networking. Before connecting to the Internet, you must be registered on our network (see In-Room Connection, Computer Registration Instructions above) .
• For more information regarding rates, Internet access, and available connections in meeting rooms please visit our Internet Access in Meeting Rooms section.

Wireless Connections

• A login and password is required to access the wireless network. Please contact your Conference Organizer for your conference login and password.
• Any computing device connecting to the wireless network is required to comply with UC Berkeley’s minimum security requirements .
• Wireless hotspots are also available in some common lounges, all the dining commons, and in the Computing Centers.

Minimum Security Requirements

In order to protect the network and to ensure efficient and reliable Internet service for all users, the University of California, Berkeley enforces the following minimum security requirements for any device connecting to our network to use the Internet. Any device, such as your laptop, that does not meet the minimum security standards may have its Internet access turned off and blocked from the Internet without prior notification. The minimum security standards are as follows:

• Install anti-virus software that updates with regular virus definitions
  The first security requirement is to have antivirus software. Antivirus software detects and eliminates malicious codes on your computer. It protects your documents and media by keeping viruses from spreading between your computer and others.
• Set strong passwords for your computer
  Many administrator and regular user accounts on computers have blank passwords by default, giving hackers an easy way to compromise machines. Setting a strong password for these accounts closes this common security hole.
• Have a personal firewall installed and running at all times
  It is a requirement that your computer have firewall software. A personal firewall protects your computer from potentially harmful network traffic. It prevents spammers and hackers from exploiting security holes on your computer.
• Install the latest critical updates and enable automatic updates to get the latest software patches for your computer
  Enable and run automatic updates for your operating system (ex. Windows XP or Mac OS X) to install the most latest critical updates for your computer. This will protect your computer from the newest security vulnerabilities as they are discovered.

Print & Email Stations

There are print and email stations available for conference guest use in residence hall units. Room locations change every year. Please have your conference guest inquire with the unit front desk for the exact location.

Computing Center Rental

Computing Centers, also called Academic Services Centers, are available for rental and are equipped with Windows XP and Mac OS X workstations. Please contact your Conference Coordinator for availability and more information on long-term rental rates.

For specific information on Computing Centers at each residential complex, visit the Unit Computing Centers Page 

Setup and Support

• The rental fees include:
• Technical overview at a pre-conference meeting
• One hour of technical assistance with initial setup and familiarization of Computing Center equipment
• Opening and closing of the Computing Center before and after use
• Additional technical support can be provide for $75/hour
• Residential Computing can rearrange the furniture in the Computing Centers. Restrictions do apply. Please contact your Conference Services coordinator for details.
• There is a software installation fee of $50/hour (minimum 1 hour). Three weeks minimum notice is necessary for any software installation.
• Please make sure to provide sufficient licenses for the number of conferees attending.
• Instructors are required to test their software in the Computing Center to ensure it performs as expected. Residential Computing is not responsible for software brought in at the last minute and/or not tested in the Computing Center.

Policies

• Data retrieval of any information left behind on any Computing Center machine or PC rental is not available.
• Access to the Computing Center is limited only to the date(s) and times reserved.
• Conference groups who bring their own computers into the Computing Center are responsible in providing their own IT support including computer setup and installation. We must have the contact information of the IT personnel being brought in.
• Please contact rssp-helpdesk@berkeley.edu for more information.

Computer Rental

• PC computer rental is available for $75/day (minimum 1 day).

Additional Fee-based Services

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