When will my NPCUID (computer account) be created?

• New accounts for students are created within 1 business day of registration for a credit-bearing class. Faculty and staff must fill out a form. This account gives access to almost all computer resources on campus

My son / daughter wants to bring a computer to school.  What do you recommend as the minimum system requirement?

• Check out our minimum system requirements page.

Does New Paltz have wireless internet access?

• New Paltz now has several wireless access points on campus. Our wireless network is 802.11b and can be accessed using most wireless cards.

What about virus protection?

• You must have it! It MUST have current virus definitions. If you prevent others from connecting, you will lose your ResNet connection.  Download Symantec Anti-virus for FREE.

What’s ResNet?

• ResNet is the project that provides Ethernet connectivity to the residence halls. An appropriate Ethernet card must be installed in the computer to connect to ResNet.  See the ResNet page for additional information.

Do I need special equipment to connect to ResNet?

• You must provide an ethernet card. Nearly all new computers come with them. If your computer does not already have an ethernet card, you can find them for $10-$15 online. You must also have a patch cord. Cat 5 ethernet cords can be borrowed from the Student Help Desk.

My son / daughter is assigned to a “triple” room in the residence hall. What happens if all three students want to connect?

• Students who are in triples can borrow a mini-hub from the Student Help Desk.

I am sending a computer to school with my daughter / son.  What do I do about software?

• We do not require that students possess any software programs (or even a computer). Most software programs are prohibitively expensive. Any software programs that are required for classes are installed in computer labs that are accessible to the students. The open labs are running a variety of software applications running under Windows XP. Please be aware that many software companies offer educational discounts for students in higher ed.

Where can my daughter / son get help?

• We provide phone, walk-in and e-mail support to students. The primary office for Academic Computing is VLC Annex 155:  Professional staff may be available by appointment.
• The Student Help Desk is staffed seven days a week during the Academic calendar year.  It is located in HUM103.  Call them at 845 257-3597 or send them e-mail at:  helpdesk@newpaltz.edu.
• The students at the Help Desk do not install hardware nor do they install software. We will help your student to learn how to install their own hardware or software.
• Be sure to send the ORIGINAL Windows or other OS CD to school with your son / daughter. This may be needed if the student needs to reinstall dial-up networking or some other piece of the operating system. We do not loan our original Windows CDs nor do we loan our software CDs.

Where are the computer labs and what are the hours they are open?

• The lab hours vary from lab to lab and are posted on the web at: Lab hours
• The primary facility is located in the Humanities building (HUM105 & 107).
• The residence halls with older computers (Gage, Shango, Capen, Scudder and Bliss)  have Pentium III 700s installed in their labs.

What’s a FireWall and how will it affect me?

• The firewall helps protect networked computers from intentional & unauthorized access.  A Firewall sits at the junction point or gateway between two networks, in our case between ResNet and the Internet.  The Firewall examines all traffic routed between the two networks to see if it meets certain criteria. If it does, it is routed between the networks, otherwise it is stopped. As a result of this added security, certain things will be affected by the Firewall.

Does the college provide access to the Internet if my son/daughter wants to use a modem?

• All the dorms on campus are now wired for ResNet. No student living on campus should have to use dial-up to get on the Internet.