Another uni question :)

gord · 23 May 2006 at 12:26

Your uni should list on their computer info related site what services are blocked etc.

Soton uni block torrents, p2p etc but games like halflife and Steam can be played, it just limits the ports so that you may not be able to access all games..
xbox live apparently should work, but its nigh on impossible connecting to people

gord · 23 May 2006 at 12:30

Have you seen this

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/is/halls/
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/is/halls/access.htm

Sudden · 23 May 2006 at 12:58

gord said:
Have you seen this

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/is/halls/
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/is/halls/access.htm

No, I hadn't seen that

Thanks for the help, i appreciate it, but

You must not indulge in any prohibited actives such as sending electronic chain mail, junk-email, network game playing, IRC or other activities which make excessive demands on the network or other UCL or JANET facilities.

How does this tunneling work ?

easy to do?

Oh another question, it says no network gaming, would that include LAN?

DaveyD · 23 May 2006 at 13:03

Sudden said:
Anyone have any expereince with UCL with regards to gaming?
I guess i'l find out for sure if they allow gaming once I reach there. If not, I guess i'l have to ask you guys how to do tunneling ^_^

I played UT2k4 yesterday, for the first time with my new 2mb connection. It was just so nice, lol, no lag, like playing against the computer!

I just hope UCL allows gaming.

Also, don't know if this makes a difference, but I applied for student houses instead of halls of residence. Would the internet stuff for them be any different?

I was gonna go for a 150 GB 10,000 RPM hard disk, but from what people here are saying, might be better to go for something bigger

Oh and also, online gaming is restricted etc. But did you guys get much time to spend on the comp. playing any single player? or does uni leave no time for that?

It will all really depend on what you are like personally, and what your flat/housemates are like when you move in. If you like to go out, get drunk and generally socialise with people, you may find yourself being away from your room a lot of the time, but if you're more introverted and like to keep to yourself in your room, you'll be in your room a lot.

What course will you be doing?

Uni is a very different experience, and I would personally suggest see how your first couple of weeks go to you, and see what you're doing during that time.

What course are you doing? Generally your first year doesn't count for anything of your overall grade, so your first year should be very much be an enjoy yourself while you can year. Depending on your course, your workload will vary greatly, thus will likely affect how much time you get to yourself.

I'm a lazy bum, in my second year of uni, and have hardly done anything in the evenings during term time, just the odd tutorial or laboratory report here and there, and 90% of the time I've been free to do what I want gaming wise, but I know other people that spend a couple of hours a night doing lots of work, but on very different courses to what I am doing.

The student houses thing, I'm guessing is just normal, terraced or local housing. If that, then it'll probably be ran by some external landlord, and you'll probably be able to just have normal, unrestricted ADSL / Cable if you want, and your other housemates are willing to pay for and share accordingly with you.

Kreeeee · 23 May 2006 at 13:05

I must be lucky. They allow full online gaming and the resnet employees know about the DC++ hub and leave it there until an external company whines about it.

Psyk · 23 May 2006 at 13:11

Kreeeee said:
I must be lucky. They allow full online gaming and the resnet employees know about the DC++ hub and leave it there until an external company whines about it.

Hehe, it's great isn't it.

I think most people stick with laptops just because it's easier to take them home over the holidays. But if you want to do gaming then I guess you'll want a desktop. Why did you apply for a student house? Not as much fun as halls. But anyway if they are University owned buildings (or officially affiliated with the university but run by an outside company) then they will probably have the same connection as the halls.

Locrian · 23 May 2006 at 13:14

I can see this thread sinking because there is blatant talk of filesharing and illegal activities...

Seft · 23 May 2006 at 13:21

Sudden said:
Anyone have any expereince with UCL with regards to gaming?
I guess i'l find out for sure if they allow gaming once I reach there. If not, I guess i'l have to ask you guys how to do tunneling ^_^

I played UT2k4 yesterday, for the first time with my new 2mb connection. It was just so nice, lol, no lag, like playing against the computer!

I just hope UCL allows gaming.

Also, don't know if this makes a difference, but I applied for student houses instead of halls of residence. Would the internet stuff for them be any different?

I was gonna go for a 150 GB 10,000 RPM hard disk, but from what people here are saying, might be better to go for something bigger

Oh and also, online gaming is restricted etc. But did you guys get much time to spend on the comp. playing any single player? or does uni leave no time for that?

No gaming in UCL halls. None. Whatsoever. The lan is locked down tight - you can't connect to anyone else and online gaming is blocked. I don't know what the situation is for houses though.

The upside is that your connection is fast. Really fast. Like 70/20 (real world). They don't seem to care how much FTP traffic you use, so running an FTP server with a bittorrent client with some friends is worthwhile if you need to get some torrents.

As regards your original question, spend less on your computer and more on your monitor. Get a big widescreen one. You'll have a lot of time to watch TV

EDIT: That last bit might depend on what course you're doing. You're not a medic or a lawyer, I hope?

Psyk · 23 May 2006 at 13:25

I think it's really unfair of unis to block gaming. Filesharing fair enough as chances are it's being used for illegal purposes. But since halls are where you live, I think they should let you use the connection for recreational activities. In labs and libraries, yes those machines should only be used for work, but on your own personal machines in your own room you should be allowed to use it for other things.

Messiah Khan · 23 May 2006 at 13:34

I had a beast of a pc at Uni and so did many of my mates. But I was doing a Computer Animation Degree, so we were running 3D studio max and doing massive Rendering projects. We also played loads of games as well, as Morrowind came out in my first year. As for internet, we didn't have any connection in halls, but we got a 4mb line in the second and third years. That was at Teesside uni.

Sudden · 23 May 2006 at 13:44

DaveyD said:
It will all really depend on what you are like personally, and what your flat/housemates are like when you move in. If you like to go out, get drunk and generally socialise with people, you may find yourself being away from your room a lot of the time, but if you're more introverted and like to keep to yourself in your room, you'll be in your room a lot.

What course will you be doing?

Uni is a very different experience, and I would personally suggest see how your first couple of weeks go to you, and see what you're doing during that time.

I am pretty introverted, but not so much so that if everyone's going out for dinner or drinks or something and invite me along, i'l refuse just so I could play games.

I'm doing history. It is a good idea to wait for a weeks before buying it, but i'd like to have it going in. Will have time to build it before, not sure how much i'l have after, especially at the beginning of uni and doing my first build

Seft said:
No gaming in UCL halls. None. Whatsoever. The lan is locked down tight - you can't connect to anyone else and online gaming is blocked. I don't know what the situation is for houses though.

The upside is that your connection is fast. Really fast. Like 70/20 (real world). They don't seem to care how much FTP traffic you use, so running an FTP server with a bittorrent client with some friends is worthwhile if you need to get some torrents.

As regards your original question, spend less on your computer and more on your monitor. Get a big widescreen one. You'll have a lot of time to watch TV

EDIT: That last bit might depend on what course you're doing. You're not a medic or a lawyer, I hope?

from what I could make out on the sites that gord posted earlier, the student houses are considered part of the halls of residence as far as internet services go, so same rules apply

A connection like that is brilliant, and good for getting stuff off other people, but such a waste without gaming.

The computer, my parents are buying me, so its good

And the monitor, i've saved up around 700 pounds, which should increase by the time uni starts, so enough for a decent monitor.

Nope, my teachers at school told me "do NOT do law at uni under any circumstances. you will not enjoy your experience. do a conversion course to law after your ergular degree. So i listened to tehm for once and am doing history

Psyk said:
I think it's really unfair of unis to block gaming. Filesharing fair enough as chances are it's being used for illegal purposes. But since halls are where you live, I think they should let you use the connection for recreational activities. In labs and libraries, yes those machines should only be used for work, but on your own personal machines in your own room you should be allowed to use it for other things.

Wholeheartedly agree .
I can understand blocking file sharing, and was expecting that, but didn't think about them blocking gaming

Seft · 23 May 2006 at 14:00

Oh yeah, hit me on msn if you've got any other UCL questions.

DaveyD · 23 May 2006 at 14:01

Trouble is, the provided internet is provided for acedemic purposes, and they don't want to let gaming etc to take up the whole bandwidth, though it would be better if they did de-restrict somewhat in the evenings or something similar.

As you're doing a history degree, I would guess you're going to have very few lectures, but a lot more reading and research to do. If you pace yourself well and don't leave things to the last minute, you'll have plenty of time during the day to do your reading and work, and leaving evenings and weekends for anything else you want to do.

Be aware that your first couple of weeks, especially in halls and in freshers week, will be a very much going out constantly and drinking lots just getting to know people around you and all that.

Remember you'll also have societies and sports teams to join if you want, societies are great for meeing people, I've met loads of great friends through the societies I'm in at uni.