Information about Computers and Information Technology at the College of Design

Fall 2009

Information Technology Workshops
The Information Technology Department occasionally offers workshops to help you learn more about computing in the College of Design. Go to the IT Workshops page for a schedule or to register for a workshop.

ClassStore and Transfer
The College provides file space for courses and file transfer. des-classstore.sod.ncsu.edu is the name of the server which houses ClassStore and Transfer. ClassStore is available by instructor’s request and provides file space for particular courses. Transfer is available to all of the College and provides space for users to transfer files from one computer to another. Follow the instructions from the HELP section linked in the Menu bar above.

Faculty who would like to have a ClassStore folder for their course should email their course number, section and course roll, including their students' Unity IDs, to Joey Jenkins at joey_jenkins@ncsu.edu.

Improvements in the IT Lab
All of the computers in the IT Lab classrooms are now Dual-Boot Macintosh computers running both Mac OS 10.5 and Windows XP Pro. Users may choose whihc operating system they prefer. We are also adding dual-boot computers into the clusters as we retire older computers.

Two of the printers in Brooks 203 have been moved to Brooks 202. They are now named bs-202-1, a B&W laser printer and bs-202-color1, a color laser printer.

StudioNet: Wired and Wireless Network Access for College of Design Students
All College of Design students taking studio courses are provided high-speed network access for their computers through StudioNet. Wired connections are available in Brooks, Kamphoefner and Leazar Halls using the campus Nomad wired network. Wireless connections are available in Brooks, Kamphoefner and Leazar Halls using the University's Nomad (ncsu) wireless network. Wireless connections are available in the Downtown Design Studio using the 'Design' wireless network.

We recommend signing up and using a wired connection at your desk and using a wireless connection as a convenience in other places around the College. Wired connections are significantly faster than wireless connections, especially when printing and transferring large files.

Students wishing to use the wired network must have an RJ-45 ethernet connector in their computer along with a CAT-5 ethernet cable. These are available at the NCSU Bookstores. Students wishing to use the wireless network must have an 802.11b or 802.11g wireless card (also called WiFi or Airport) in their computer. Faculty and staff should contact the College of Design Information Technology Staff for help.

In order to use StudioNet, students should follow the appropriate instructions on the StudioNet information page. There are instructions for wired or wireless connections and for each building in the College of Design complex. Students taking a Design studio may apply for a StudioNet connection anytime during the year.

More information is available on the StudioNet page.

DesignPRINT
The College of Design operates its own print accounting system called DesignPRINT. DesignPRINT uses the same physical printers as the University's WolfPrint system, but uses different servers to provide accounting and processing of print jobs. We use DesignPRINT servers to provide more reliable printing services for our users. The University's WolfPrint service works well for many, but our unique needs within Design caused problems when we used WolfPrint. DesignPRINT eliminates many of those problems. Click here for more information about DesignPRINT.

Copier Information
WolfCopy provides the copiers across campus. Black and White copiers are available in each College of Design building. A color copier is located in the basement of Brooks Hall. Black and White copies cost 5¢, color copies are 25¢ per page. Copiers use a debit-type card which may be purchased from a machine in the Brooks basement. Users may also use that machine to add value to WolfCopy cards.

Anti-virus Software Required on All Computers
Computers connected to the campus network (including StudioNet) are required to have up-to-date antivirus software installed and running. NC State makes managed anti-virus software available to all students, faculty, and staff free of charge. Users may put this software on office/studio and home computers that connect to the NC State network. For more information and downloads, go to: http://www.ncsu.edu/antivirus/

Laser Cutter Certification
All users must attend a Laser Cutter Certification session before they will be allowed to use the laser cutters. Use the menu above to go to the Laser Cutter section for information on downloading the Design Laser System software and signing up for a certification session.

Instant Messenger Contact Information
In addition to other contact methods, the IT staff may also be reached via Instant Messaging (IM) at the following AIM addresses:
Bill Bayley: designhelpbill
Joe McCoy: designhelpjonas
Joey Jenkins: designhelpjoey
Tih-Yuan Wang: designhelpwang
Lee Cherry: onebitpixal

Don't have AIM? There are a plethora of Instant Messaging clients out there these days. Here's a short list of IM clients and their supported Operating Systems:
Adium - http://www.adiumx.com/ (Supports Mac OS X)
AOL Instant Messaging (AIM) - http://www.aim.com (Support Windows, and Mac OS X)
Apple iChat - ships with every Apple Macintosh computer and can connect to the AIM network (Supports Mac OS X)
Pidgin - http://www.pidgin.im/ (Supports Windows)
Trillian - http://www.ceruleanstudios.com/ (Supports Windows only for now. Mac OS X version in development)

Users of AIM or iChat will have the advanced ability of video and/or audio chats provided you have the necessary hardware.

Peer-to-Peer File Sharing Warning
Peer-to-Peer file sharing is popular around the world. Programs such as Kazaa, LimeWire, BitTorrent, and others allow users to share files to other computers. However, many times these files are copyrighted music and movie files. The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) and the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) have stepped up their efforts to curtail the sharing of copyrighted materials. The RIAA has been filing lawsuits against individuals who use their computers to share copyrighted materials. College students are prime targets. There are cases involving NC State students. In order to comply with federal law, NC State must identify the owner of any computer caught sharing copyrighted material.

Also, many of these file sharing programs open up computers to attacks and viruses. It's safer just to get rid of these programs. The College of Design IT staff cannot take to time to repair your computer from damage caused by these programs.

So, don't risk lawsuits, hacks, and viruses! Get rid of your file sharing programs.

Thanks for reading! Check back often for more Computing NEWS.

If you have any questions, please contact the College Information Technology staff at design_help@ncsu.edu.