Welcome Class of 2012!

As you embark on your Brown career as first-years, the folks here at Computing and Information Services (CIS), Brown's IT department, know that there are a lot of questions you may have about IT services at Brown. Below are a few  answers to the most commonly asked questions that we receive at this time of the year.

User Accounts

1. Log on to Self-Service Banner (https://selfservice.brown.edu/login)
2. Click "Student and Financial Aid" tab
3. Click the "Registration" link
4. Click the "Registration Status" link
5. On the right-hand side of the resulting "Registration Term" page (under the "Return to Menu", "Site Map", "Help", and "Exit" links), the student's BannerID, name, and current date and time are displayed.

If you want to manage your account (after it has been activated) please visit MyAccount page. The MyAccount page allows you to manage several features of your Brown account, such as changing your account password, configuring email forwarding, and getting a breakdown of your mailbox quota among other things.

Can my email address be changed from my official name to my nickname or an alias of mine?
No, but you can add alternate email addresses as long as you don't choose an inappropriate name. Students who wish to add an alternate email address will need to go to the Computing Accounts and Passwords (CAP) office, located at the Help Desk.
The CIS Help Desk is located at 115 Waterman St (CIT Building), Room 101 (first office on the left as you enter the building). The CIT building is on the corner of Brook St and Waterman St, right next to the Sciences Library.

Do I have to use the Brown’s email service, or can I forward my email to another account?
No, you do not have to use your Brown email account, and you can choose to forward your mail under Delivery Location on the MyAccount page. Email is the primary means  the university uses to transmit important and official communications, so it is very important that you have your email  going to an account thatyou check on a regular basis. For example, many students choose to forward mail sent to their Brown email address to their gmail, yahoo, hotmail, or their home ISP such as Comcast or Verizon mail.

Networking

How do I connect to the network?
First, a few facts.
Our wireless network is named "Brown". Our secure wireless network is named "Brown-Secure".
When connecting to either wireless network, you will need to authenticate using your Brown username and password. Access to many of Brown’s network resources is limited on the “Brown” unsecure network. If you need to access resources on the university network besides basic internet access, we recommend using the” Brown-Secure” network instead. For more detailed information on how to connect to the wireless networks at brown, see our articles on the CIS wiki site: https://wiki.brown.edu/confluence/display/CISDOC/Network+-+Wired+and+Wireless+Connections

When you connect to our wired network for the first time, you will be prompted to register your computer via MyConnection process. MyConnection scans your computer for known vulnerabilities, makes sure you are running an antivirus program, and registers your computer on the network. All devices with connections to the wired network will need to be registered in MyConnection. This includes gaming consoles that require an internet connection, such as Xbox and Nintendo Wii. To register a console device, you will need to fill out the network extension form to have the device manually registered on the network: http://www.brown.edu/Facilities/CIS/policy/forms/netextend.html


Where is the wireless network available?
All dorms have wireless access. For a complete list of buildings with wireless service, see our Wireless FAQ

Television

Brown has 2 television viewing options for Students: Cable TV and IPTV
What cable TV stations are available?
You can view available Cable stations here

How do I watch TV on my computer?
You can read more about IPTV here

Telephony at Brown
o Is there a phone in my dorm room?

Email

Security