Networking Infrastructure

The networking infrastruction consists of a wired and a wireless LAN and a virtual private network (VPN). All these networks are managed by the ETH ID (Informatikdienste).

Wireless LAN

The wireless LAN has three SSIDs: 'public','eth' and 'eduram'. In order to use the 'public' SSID users need their n.ethz username and password. Users who want to use the 'eth' SSID need a SSL Certificate from the ID. For more information please refer to: https://www1.ethz.ch/id/services/list/network/wifi

How to connect to a WLAN

1. Make shure WLAN is activated on your laptop
2. Click on the Wireless Icon (in case of windows machines in the taskbar)
3. Choose the SSID (see above, 'public', 'eth' or 'eduram') you want to be connected with
4. After opening a webbrowser you will get on the landing page on which you can login with your nethz-username and the according password

802.1x authorization

IEEE 802.1x is a network authentication standard used at ETH for cable and wireless connections.

How to configure a cable connection for 802.1x authorization

Normally when you connect a not registered selfmanaged laptop into a UTP socket which is set to 'docking', you won't be able to get into the Internet, until you have logged in via the ETH landing page displayed by your webbrowser. In other words, the same behaviour as connecting to the ETH wireless network. After registering via landing page, you will have full access to the network.
This article shows you how to configure the cabled interface of your laptop in a way that 802.1x authorization is made automatically in the background, without using the ETH landing page.

1. Click on Start and type 'services.msc' in the search field.

2. In the upcoming window click Tab:Standard and start service 'Wired autoConfig'. Close 'services.msc' window.

3. Click on Start -> 'Control Panel' -> 'Network and Sharing Center' and choose 'Change adapter settings' on the left side of the window.

4. Right click on the symbol for the LAN adapter, choose 'Properties' and click on Tab:Authentication.

5. Make the following settings:

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6. Click button 'Settings' and untick "Validate server certificate".

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7. Click button 'Configure' and untick "Automatically use my Windows logon name and password (and domain if any)." After that click two times 'ok'.
8. Back in the "Authentication" tab click button "Addional Settings".

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9. Tick "Specify authentication mode" and choose "User authentication" in the dropdown field.

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10. Click button "Save credentials" and enter your NETHZ username and password. After that click several times 'ok' to store your settings and close all the windows.

Network Debugging

This document adresses the D-ITET students. There are a few scenarios why users cannot use ETHZ, departmental or institution al internet or intranet services. This document tries to help you to analyze the problem.

The reasons why you cannot use our services may be:

1. You are outside the ETH and have a connection problem: General connection pro blems.
2. You are inside the ETH with your WLAN capable notebook. You have poor or no connection to the wireless network: General WLAN problems.
3. You are at home with your WLAN capable notebook. You have poor or no connection to the wireless network: General WLAN problems.
4. You are inside the ETH with your computer and you want to use the wired netwo rk. You cannot connect; you do not get an IP address: General DHCP problems. Keywords below: - General connectivity problems - General WLAN problems - General DHCP problems

Solutions

1. General connectivity problems

a. Please make sure that everything at your end works:

• Try to surf the internet. If you fail,
• check for connectivity to the internet
• check your cabling
• check your VPN client if you use it. Disable VPN for testing.

b. If you can surf the internet,

• try to access the ETH and/or ISG.EE web sites. They should be available at all times. If this fails, call the ISG.EE support.
• try to access the services you need, e.g. sending email, using svn, getting mail, accessing your home directory. If this fails, call the ISG.EE support.

c. Firewalls. If you

• run a firewall that blocks or rejects outgoing traffic
• you try to use a service that is firewalled on ETH side

2. General WLAN problems @home or @ETH

WLAN @home

The reasons for a poor performance may be:

• some other WLAN is interferring. Make sure your WLAN access point does not use the same channel group as the foreign WLAN access point. Reconfigure your channel group. The channel groups are: 1 - 5, 6 - 10, 11 - 13. Avoid channel groups that are occupied by other access points.
• Incompatiblity (encryption): You use a encryption algorithm that does not properly work with the WLAN access point. Reconfigure the encryption.
• Loss of signal / weak signal strength:

a. Try to move the WLAN access point to a better (higher) place. Use your notebook's wlan adapter and a software called netstumbler to measure the signal strength by walking around in your flat.

b. Try to configure a stronger signal on both, your notebook and the WLAN acccess point.

c. There is something weakening your signal, e.g. electrically grounded steel girders.

d. Distance and signal strength: If your notebook is too far away from the access point you may lose the signal. This can happen after a few meters if there are signal dampers between the access point and your notebook.

• Hardware failure. Check your hardware whether it generally is compatible and/or whether your hardware is working correctly. This can be done using replacement hardware.

In any of these cases there is not much the ISG.EE support can do for you.

WLAN @ETHZ

The reasons for a poor performance are basically the same as described in the section a. above (WLAN problems @Home). However, the ETHZ WLAN should be stable at all times. If you experience WLAN connectivity problems at the ETH please request help either from the ISG.EE or directly from the ID. The ID is responsible for the WLAN @ETHZ.

• SSID public: The SSID 'public' is publicly available. You do not need to register your notebook. Once your notebook is associated to an access point you must use the VPN software and your n.ethz username and password to authenticate at the VPN gateway. Once authenticated you may use the intranet / internet services.

• SSID eth: The SSID 'eth' is not publicly available. Please refer to http://www.id.ethz.ch/about/sections/kom/dkid/themas/config-wlan-1x for more information.

If you experience problems with the WLAN @ETHZ, please ask either the ISG.EE or the IDfor assistance.

3. General DHCP problems

a. You use Windows or Linux on your computer or notebook. You have made sure that your computer is connected to the wired network by cable. You notice that you do not receive an IP address. The reasons for this problem may be:

• The network plug in the wall is not configured for the network you should receive an IP address from

• You did not register your computer at the ISG.EE. For registration we need the following information: MAC address, hostname and the operating system.