FAQ on the HKU Hall Network                Show all answers         Hide all answers

To connect to the ACEnet, Wireless network (WLAN) or Hall Network, you must first register your network card by visiting the HKU Portal at http://hkuportal.hku.hk => Campus Information Services => Central IT Services => Register Network Cards. Then you can connect to the network using one of the following ways:

(A) After your network card is registered, access to the following Internet services from the HKU campus does not require logging in the HKUVPN. For running other network applications, please first login HKUVPN.

• E-mail (POP3/IMAP)
• WWW (http/https using default TCP ports: 80/443)
• Streaming media (Microsoft Media Player & Real Player)
• FTP (file transfer program)
• ICQ connection (default TCP ports : 6667/5190)
• MSN Messenger connection (default TCP port: 1863)
• Yahoo Messenger connection (default TCP port: 5050)
• VPN connection (default TCP port: 1723/UDP port:500)
• Skype connection (default TCP port: 80/443)

(B) Connect via the HKUVPN gateway which enables file upload or download besides the above internet services. Refer to http://www.itservices.hku.hk/services/hallnet/connect.htm on how to create the 'HKUVPN' (or 'Login ACEnet') icon.

Q1.1. My notebook computer cannot detect the HKU Wireless LAN named "CC WLAN"; and sometimes, even if my notebook detects "CC WLAN", it still cannot access the network.

Remove all wireless network names detected by your notebook and let it detects "CC WLAN" again. Also, Use Windows to configure my wireless setting. This would help to solve the problem. .

Check the following:

1. You must first register your network card in the HKU Portal by visiting the HKU Portal at http://hkuportal.hku.hk => Campus Information Services => Central IT Services => Register Network Cards

2. There may be problems with the IP address of your PC.

(i) You must configure your PC to "obtain an IP address automatically".

(ii) A previous IP address may have been used in your PC. Click here to see how to obtain an IP address from the DHCP server.

3. Login the HKUVPN gateway using your network password for special programs (e.g. MSN Messenger webcam, Apple iChat). 
(Click here for a list of the applications that do not require login HKUVPN.)

Q2.1: I received a COMPUTER or NETWORK ABUSE warning from the Computer Centre and now I cannot connect to the network

See Q.4 on what constitues computer and network abuse.

Q2.2: Sometimes I can't login the HKUVPN network even though my account information is correct.

Select "Never dial a connection" in your Internet Explorer (IE) browser :
In IE, click menu Tools
=> Internet Options
=> Connections
=> select "Never dial a connection"

Network and computer abuse includes activities such as dissemination of computer viruses/Trojan horses, spam, copyright infringement, port scanning, using excessive network bandwidth, spying and hacking of others' computers, etc.

If you received a computer abuse warning from the Computer Centre, your network access may be blocked. You must clean up the virus or Trojan horse, then enable your network card in the HKU Portal yourself as follows:

Login HKU Portal=> Campus Information Services => Central IT Services => Restore Network Access .

If the network connection port in your hall or office is blocked, send email to abuse@hku.hk stating that your computer is clean of viruses or Trojan horses. See FAQ on Computer Viruses & Trojan Horses on how to remove a computer virus or Trojan horse.

I never received any ABUSE warning but still cannot connect to the network

Some anti-spyware or firewall software may block all network traffic due to mis-configuration. If you have newly installed anti-spyware or firewall, you should check the configurations carefully, or temporarily disable the software to see if the network blockage is due to the software.

The hall network is slow especially in the evening because the network traffic is the busiest at that time. Some hall users are using excessively network bandwidth when they download or upload large files eg. videos so other hall users cannot get on the network. The hall network usage policy is specified in http://www.itservices.hku.hk/services/netethic.htm

The hall network can be slow due to port scanning activities from other users' computers which are infected by a virus/spyware. See what is port scanning and beware of spyware.

If you experience a slow network in any of the halls, please report to ithelp@hku.hk.

If you have registered your network card, the ICQ system does not require logging in HKUVPN on the ACEnet/Wireless LAN or Hall network. Check your ICQ connection (default TCP ports : 6667/5190).

To register your network card under the HKU Portal, you need to reveal the network card address of your PC:

For Windows Vista:

1. Click Windows Start => All Programs => Accessories => Run (or press 'Windows Logo' key + 'R' key)
2. Type in the word cmd , and click OK
3. Once a black command window appears, type in ipconfig /all and hit the Enter key.
4. To register your Wireless network card, look under the Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection section and the Physical Address is its Ethernet address.

   To register your wired network card (connection using a cable), look under the Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection section and the Physical Address is its Ethernet address.

5. Register the Ethernet address (12 characters without the hyphens) as shown in Q.10 under HKU Portal.

To obtain a new IP address from the DHCP server, type in ipconfig /release and then type in ipconfig /renew

For Windows XP:

1. Click Windows Start => Run
2. Type in the word cmd , and click OK
3. Once a black command window appears, type in ipconfig /all and hit the Enter key.
4. To register your Wireless network card, look under the Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection section and the Physical Address is its Ethernet address.

   To register your wired network card (connection using a cable), look under the Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection section and the Physical Address is its Ethernet address.

5. Register the Ethernet address (12 characters without the hyphens) Q.10 under HKU Portal.

To obtain a new IP address from the DHCP server, type in ipconfig /release and then type in ipconfig /renew

Yes.

Computer Centre only provides technical support for Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista.  For other platforms e.g. Windows 3.1, Windows NT, Linux etc., users should handle their own configuration issues.

Visit the HKU portal at http://hkuportal.hku.hk
=> Campus Information Services => Central IT Services => Register Network Cards

Then wait for 20 minutes before you can access the network.
Each HKU member can register up to 3 network cards (Ethernet card or wireless LAN card).

When two computers use the same IP address on the Internet, there is an IP conflict. Both computers would have networking problem.

Do not hard code the IP Address in your computer. Select 'Obtain an IP address automatically' in the TCP/IP setting. If the problem does not go away, copy down the Ethernet Address (network card address) of the other network user and pass the information to the Help Desk of the Computer Centre (Tel. 2859-2480) or send email to ithelp@hku.hk.

Query the network card address of the other user as follows:

For Windows Vista:
Click Windows Start => Control Panel => double click on Administrative Tools => Event Viewer => Windows Log => System => right-click on the Error icon (in red) => select Properties, and the network card address of the other user will be displayed in the error description window.

For Windows XP:
Click Windows Start button => Settings => Control Panel => double click on Administrative Tools => Event Viewer => System Log => right-click on the Error icon (in red) => select Properties, and the network card address of the other user will be displayed in the error description window.

Click here to see how to reveal your own network card address.

To obtain a new IP address from the DHCP server, do the following:

For Windows Vista:

Click Windows Start button
=> select All Programs => Accessories => Run
=> type cmd, click OK
=> in the black Command window, type : ipconfig /release
=> type: ipconfig /renew

For Windows XP:

Click Windows Start button
=> select Run
=> type cmd, click OK
=> in the black Command window, type : ipconfig /release
=> type: ipconfig /renew

Make sure that you have registered your network card address correctly before connecting to the Hall Network. You must configure your PC to obtain an IP address automatically.

Contact your hall manager on this matter. Hall managers can register the network cards for the visitors in the HKU Portal.

For a visitor who is not staying in a HKU residence hall, contact administrator of your host department to register the network card for you.

If you are running Windows XP, you should not configure Internet Connecting Sharing (ICS) in the HKU network environment, otherwise your PC will act as a DHCP server leading to IP address conflicts in the HKU network.  This rule applies to users of the Hall Network, ACEnet/Wireless LAN and HKUVPN.
Click here for instructions.

You must not assign an explicit IP address in your computer. Instead, select "Obtain an IP address automatically" for "TCP/IP"

For Windows Vista:

1.Click Windows Start => Control Panel
2. Click Network and Internet => Network and Sharing Center. In the left pane, click Manage network connections.
3.Right-click the type of connection (Local Area Network or Wireless Network), and then click Properties. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
4 .In "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties" window, click the Networking tab.
5. Under "This connection uses the following items", click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and then click Properties.
5. In "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties" window, select Obtain an IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically
6. Click the OK button to exit to the "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties" window.
9. Click the Close button.

For Windows XP:

1. Double click on the My Computer icon => Control Panel folder.
2. Click on the Network Connections icon.
3. Right-click the connection that you want to change, and then click Properties.
4. Under "This connection uses the following items", click TCP/IP and then click Properties.
5. In "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties" window, select Obtain an IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically
6. Click OK to close all windows.

Macintosh (OS X):

1. Select Apple Menu => System Preferences => Network button.
2. Select TCP/IP tab and configure Using DHCP
3. Above the TCP/IP Tab, you may need to configure via AirPort or other wireless (WiFi) Ethernet.
4. Leave Domain Name Servers and Search Domains blank.

Note: The network card in your PC must be registered beforehand.