Wired
The CSE building has wired network ports in most rooms. If you cannot or choose not to use wireless, you may use these wired network connections to connect to the campus network. All of the connections in the building are gigabit Ethernet connections.
In each office, you will find one or more wall plates with a number of network jacks on them. Most wall plates have six network jacks (labeled A-F). There are other network jack configurations (12 port patch panels in some labs, plates with less than six jacks, network jacks under floor plates, etc). For a network jack to be usable, it has to be activated. Only a subset of the network jacks in the building are activated at any given time.
When a network jack is activated it is placed on a specific VLAN based on how it is to be used. These VLANs are used for different purposes and you must have the proper VLAN connected to your network jack for your equipment to be able to access the network. For example, static network addresses and dynamic network address use different VLANs. CSEHelp will connect the appropriate VLAN to the network jack after receiving your network request.
If you are just setting up a workstation or a notebook computer that you don't plan on connecting to from a remote location, you may specify that you want a DHCP connection on the network request form. If want to be able to connect to this computer from elsewhere on the network, you will need a static network address. When you request a static network address, you will also need to specify a host name for your computer. The host name will be on the ucsd.edu network (i.e. myhostname.ucsd.edu). Host names are provided on a first come, first served basis. Before requesting a hostname, please check to be sure it is not already in use or have an ip address already assigned to it.
Only use network addresses assigned to you by CSEHelp. Please do not randomly select a network address. If you do randomly select a network address, you can cause network problems for the legitimate owner of the address either now or in the future when that address is officially assigned/used.
If you use a static network address, in addition to the network address itself, you will need to enter some of the following information into your computer to properly configure it:
- Netmask: 255.255.255.0
- Gateway: first three parts of your address followed by .1 (e.g. if your address is 132.239.95.##, your gateway will be 132.239.95.1)
- Broadcast address: first three parts of your address followed by .255 (e.g. if your address is 132.239.95.##, your broadcast address will be 132.239.95.255)
- DNS server: 132.239.0.252
If you have any problems getting your network connection working, please feel free to contact CSEHelp.
When connecting any computer to the campus network, please make sure that it complies with the campus minimum network standards.
For general network requests including port activations and hostname/fixed-ip-address requests, please fill out CSE's Network Request Form:
https://cse.ucsd.edu/csehelp/network_request_form
Note: as of 2024, campus requires most devices on any campus network to run specific security software. Please see here for details: https://sites.google.com/ucsd.edu/csog-security-audit-for-cse
Wireless
UCSD has a centrally managed wireless network that covers the entire campus and includes a "protected" network (requires authentication with Active Directory credentials), a "guest" network (no credentials required), and "eduroam" (for people from other participating institutions.) This network is managed by ITS, and is documented here: http://blink.ucsd.edu/go/wireless
If you have difficulty connecting to the wireless network, you can contact CSEHelp for basic setup assistance. For more intricate problems, you should contact ITS directly (see above page for contact information.)