Network Registration
Answers to Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs)
Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs) about “NetReg”
- What is network registration and why must devices at UVa be registered?
- Which devices need to be registered?
- How do I register a device?
- What about devices belonging to University guests?
- What happens when a person with registered devices leaves the University?
Answers to FAQs about Network Registration
- What is network registration and why must devices at UVa be registered?
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Network Registration is an online database which ITS uses to gather contact information for every device that connects to the University network. By requiring network registration, ITS ensures that all devices on the UVa network can be traced back to a UVa-affiliated person.
Mandating network registration makes solving security problems much easier. It saves time by enabling ITS staff to identify and contact the appropriate person if a device causes network problems or, if necessary, to disconnect the device from the University network until the problem is resolved. More timely problem resolution means shorter downtimes and shorter periods of degraded network performance for all users at UVa.
- Which devices need to be registered?
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All wired (Ethernet) devices, and all wireless plug-and-play devices connecting to the University network must be registered. (Any device that gets its IP address via one of ITS’s DHCP servers must be registered to gain access to the network.)
Registration is therefore required for all computers as well as tablets, smartphones, TiVos, Xboxes, PlayStations, iPod Touches, etc. that connect to either the UVa wireless or wired network. The only exceptions to this rule:
- wired, Ethernet devices with static IP addresses (e.g., servers and printers) are not required to register (although they may optionally be registered); and
- devices belonging to short-term University guests who are using wireless (their registrations are handled separately).
- How do I register a device?
- Devices can be registered in one of several ways. As a general rule, whenever you first connect an unregistered device to the UVa network and open up a Web browser, you will be automatically directed to register your device. More specifically:
- If you are connecting your wireless Windows or Apple computer or iOS device (e.g., iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) for the first time via the Welcome_to_UVa_Wireless network: You will be automatically directed to the ITS Network Setup Tool (NST), which can register your device automatically for you, while it configures your device for wireless access.
- If you are connecting your computer or device via an Ethernet connection, or if you are connecting another type of mobile device that does not work with the NST: You will be automatically directed to the Network Registration website whenever you open a Web browser. The auto registration function will allow the system to harvest your device’s physical/hardware address automatically (without you having to look it up and type it in), and will prompt you to complete the registration process.
- If you are connecting on a device that has no Web interface (such as some TiVos or game consoles): You will need to find your device’s MAC address—see how to determine your network address—and then manually go to the Network Registration website and register the device, entering the address you just looked up.
- If you are registering device(s) for others: LSPs can log into the Network Registration website to manage device inventory and ownership as needed.
- What about devices belonging to University guests?
- For detailed information, please see the specific webpages for University guests using the wireless network and University guests using the wired network.
- What happens when a person with registered devices leaves the University?
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Information from Human Resources and the Registrar’s Office is used to delete all instances of a person’s computing ID once s/he leaves the University.
Devices registered to an individual will be purged from the Network Registration system. Devices registered to a group will remain associated with the group, but the individual user’s information will be stripped shortly thereafter.
Page Updated: 2011-07-01
