this post was submitted on 07 Sep 2024
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I just moved into a student dorm for a semester abroad, and beforehand I emailed them asking whether they had ethernet ports to plug my router into (I use it to connect all my devices, and for WiVRn VR streaming). They confirmed that I could, but now that I'm here the wifi login portal is asking me to accept these terms from the ISP, which forbid plugging in a router. There's another clause that forbids "Disruptive Devices" entirely, defined as:

“Disruptive Device” means any device that prevents or interferes with our provision of the 4Wireless to other customers (such as a wireless access point such as wireless routers) or any other device used by you in breach of the Acceptable Use Policy;

So what are my options? I don't think I can use this service without accepting the terms, but also I was told by the student dorm support that I could bring a router, which contradicts this.

EDIT: some additional context:

  • dorm provider is a company separate from my uni (they have an agreement but that's it)
  • ISP (ask4) is totally separate from dorm provider, and have installed a mesh network that requires an account. On account creation, there are many upsells including one for connecting more than one device. The "free" plan only allows me to sign in on a single device, and I can upgrade to two devices for 15 pounds.
  • ethernet requires login too
  • VR streaming requires a high performance wifi 6 network, which is why I bought this router (Archer C6 from tp-link)
(page 3) 50 comments
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[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Name and shame that crappy backwards university.

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[–] bluemellophone@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Using your own WiFi router also bypasses the wireless security settings to access the school network.

Some resources are only available while on the network (printers, access to library, academic papers, other student hardware). Now imagine a random person in a coffee shop next door had u limited access to these resources via an unmanaged access point.

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[–] SulaymanF@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

This isn’t rare and not altogether a bad idea.

My university had a problem of students bringing their own WiFi routers before the dorms had WiFi. Students would set them up incorrectly and cause a series of problems with colliding DHCP servers and interference and it would cause outages for nearby wired students.

A lot of IT departments locked the network down for these reasons.

[–] pivot_root@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Students would set them up incorrectly and cause a series of problems with colliding DHCP servers

That's an IT problem, not a user problem. The downstream ports should have been isolated at both the link and packet layers. Configuring a router to share an unrestricted LAN between a dorm full of untrusted users is a disaster waiting to happen.

[–] maniii@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago

A lot of Unis have IT on a shoestring budget.Especially the CompSci dept have the most idiotic IT "professionals" working there.

Usually it is the Sciences dept like Mech-E or Tech-E or Elec-E who run massive Compute nodes for Rendering Physics or Fluid dynamics or something something research ....

Unfortunately, the Unis that have massive student dorms on-campus tend not to isolate their networks properly and allow students to directly connect to all depts Networks without any barriers. The isolation happens between LAN and Internet which is where most of the controls and filtering happens.

It would be nice if each dept had their own VPN servers and proper network isolation at the LAN instead of the crazy monkey wiring everything to everything else on-campus.

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago (5 children)

They don't want you plugging in your own gear to their network, fine.

Get one of the "5G Home Internet" services from T-Mobile or Verizon, plug your router into that.

https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet

https://www.verizon.com/home/internet/5g/

Not on their network, they have absolutely no say over it.

[–] maniii@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Since the price mentions British Pound Sterling as currency I dont think Verizon would be there. But T-Mobile is probably there in the UK.

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[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 0 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

From the wording of the other rules below the highlighted one, I can only assume they mean you can't install a second router that they provide. I mean, it also says you can't install any "owner-supplied" devices.

[–] Alk@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Mine didn't either when I lived in a dorm. I got around the network block.

  1. Plug Xbox 360 into ethernet wall port
  2. Log into uni network, get internet
  3. Plug router directly into pc.
  4. Assign router same ip as Xbox
  5. Spoof router mac address to match xbox
  6. Unplug from pc
  7. Quickly swap cable in wall from Xbox cable to router cable, Indiana Jones style
  8. Internet for 1 month. Repeat monthly.
[–] Enceladus@lemmy.ca 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

TIL you aren't a wireless professional until your hacks comes with a cinematic soundtrack.

[–] simonced@lemmy.one 0 points 2 months ago

You're not a wireless professional if you use wired ethernet cables...

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[–] fishos@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago (8 children)

Users are often dumb. Imagine 100 people who think they know what they're doing trying to set up a bunch of custom networking.

That's your dorm.

Most dorms either outright prohibit using personal hardware like that or require the schools IT department to install it themselves and set it up.

Run a network of your own someday and you'll understand. It's hard enough to get your own network working perfectly without a bunch of wildcards popping up everywhere.

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[–] utopiah@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Not a lawyer but if you have an email that says you can, I'd argue it's override the ToS assuming the person giving permission actually legally can.

Anyway I bet what they avoid is reselling access so I believe as long as you don't pay for yourself then resell to others you'll be OK.

[–] Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago

This. The ISP isn't going to care about (or notice) a single person using a router. They will notice and care if 1 person is consuming the data of 20.

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[–] FrederikNJS@lemm.ee 0 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Are these restrictions set out by the ISP or the dorm?

If you don't do business with the ISP, then you don't have to agree to and follow their terms.

So as long as the dorms doesn't have rules against setting up your own WiFi, then you should be well within your rights to purchase an Internet connection from another provider, but since you are likely not allowed to get your own line installed, you are probably restricted to ISPs that provide a service over the cellular network.

Of course using a cellular connection will give you worse latencies for online games, but at least you can have your own WiFi with low latency for your VR.

If you want to be nice, you could then run as much of your Internet network over ethernet as possible, so you congest the air waves as little as possible, possibly only running the VR headset over WiFi, and maybe even only enabling the WiFi radio when you want to play VR.

To lower the chance of someone complaining about your WiFi, you should configure it as a "hidden network", such that it doesn't broadcast an SSID, and therefore doesn't show up when people are looking for WiFi networks to connect to.

[–] maniii@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago (4 children)

Mighty unpopular opinion here.

OP you are there at the Uni to learn to grow and pass the course+exams. If you need to do extracurricular activities, please setup time at home, travel home to do those things.

If home is faraway and you still want to do it, find a reliable off-campus-non-dorm location and do your stuff from there.

Your main objective is to get through Uni without falling behind and managing your time and effort wisely. If you fail Uni because you focused too much on non-essential activities, be a responsible adult and accept the results of your adult decisions.

[–] CileTheSane@lemmy.ca 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

As I understand it, people live in the dorms. Trying to focus on schoolwork 24/7 is an excellent way to burn yourself out and not graduate. Having down time for "non -essential activities" is important for mental health.

[–] maniii@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago (8 children)

Yes but dorms are optional. No one attending Uni is forced to live in the dorms. Uni is not a boarding school at least to my knowledge.

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[–] AreaKode@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago (10 children)

Assuming they have their own wifi, they just don't want you using wifi off of your own router. A wired connection should be fine.

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