Networking in Ruddock House
There are two types of CCO-provided network connections
in Ruddock House: IBM-PC - compatible serial links, and Ethernet.
A serial link allow users to log in to the computer servers
elsewhere on campus.
Ethernet provides a much faster and more reliable method of
connecting one's computer to the network and accessing
anything available at Caltech and on the Internet, such as,
for example, these informational pages. It has the disadvantage
of forcing users to puchase an ethernet card, but for most
power-users, the cost is well worth the reliability that it
lends, especially since an ethernet card for a PC is only ~$30.
A bit of history and explanation for CITnet
The serial links use the $1.27 three-pronged 'CITnet'
(CT-303 "cinch") outlets that occur in various places in each
room - look along the floorboards to find your box. Student
volunteers created CITnet many, many years ago. Corresponding
to the outlets in each room, there are labelled outlets in the
floor patchboxes:
- in 1.5, covering the first floor
- in 4.5, covering the second floor
These patchboxes connect to the Ungerman-Bass NIU boxes in the
computer room and O'Doms, for the first and second floors
respectively.
James Dooley /
jdooley@ugcs.caltech.edu