Links & Support

McGill NCS : (Network and Communication Services) - if you are having problems with the Internet or your email at McGill
Fujitsu FAQ : A list of frequently asked questions and answers for Fujistsu owners
Acer FAQ : A searchable help database from Acer

University Bytes is happy to provide answers to any kind of computer question. Here you will find a section on how to share a high speed internet connection, as well as other Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

What can our service department do for you?

Our service department is very versatile, and is able to handle a wide range of computer related problems. Our staff are willing and able to answer any questions that you may have about a computer product, even if you purchased it elsewhere! We're here to help you--give us a call anytime.

My computer needs repair, what do I bring?

Desktops: Only bring the box or tower. Please leave all your cords and the monitor etc. at home.
Laptops: We need the laptop and the power cord.
It is usually a good idea to bring any Recovery CDs that may have come with your computer as well.

What kinds of payment do you accept?

Cash, Certified Check, Interac, Visa, and Mastercard. Sorry, we don't take American Express.

My computer is acting funny, what is wrong?

Computers act funny for three main reasons. You may have installed something that your computer doesn't like, you may have a virus or you may have a hardware problem. The first one is the cheapest problem to fix. Try uninstalling and then reinstalling it. Give us a call and we may be able to help you. Computer viruses are omnipresent. They can affect almost anyone. It is strongly recommended to invest in anti-virus software. Hardware failures, although uncommon, can occur. The only solution is usually to replace the faulty compoenent.

I think I have a virus, what do I do?

If you download files or e-mail attachments, exchange floppy disks/CDs with other people, or use the Internet frequently, your computer is at risk from viruses and Trojan Horse programs. Most commonly you get a computer virus from a file attached to an e-mail message. You should treat any unknown e-mail attachment as a virus, and delete the e-mail before opening it. The best way to prevent viruses is to buy anti-virus software like Norton Antivirus or McAfee, which check your incoming e-mail and other files too. If you already own this software, you must make sure that your virus definitions are up to date! If you think you have a virus, then the first step is to buy anti-virus software and hope it can fix the problem. If the virus is particularly nasty, though, it may have damaged your system, and removing it won't repair the damage. In this case, you can bring your computer to us.

How can I recover my file(s)?

Often, once a file is lost, it is lost forever. There are some techniques that our service technicians can use to recover a lost file, but there are never any guarantees. Bring your computer in and we'll help you as best we can.

I spilled water / coffee / tea / acid on my laptop and it's not working.

Oh oh. If this happens, turn off the computer, unplug it, and remove the battery immediately. You do not want any electricity going through the laptop. Usually, however, it is often too late and the damage has been done, especially if it was on and running. Try turning the laptop over and leaving it somewhere to dry for at least 24 hours. If this doesn't help, our staff can help you determine the cheapest repair options. This usually entails sending the laptop back to the manufacturer to replace damaged components (most commonly the motherboard). We would be happy to take care of all the necessary details of shipping and handling for you to help you get your laptop back as soon as possible.
* A note of hope: we once had a laptop start working again as soon as the liquid evaporated(!)

I dropped my laptop!

Laptops are built to withstand reasonable bumps and bruises. If it still works, then you should be okay. Our service people can check to make sure it's okay, too, if you like. If you've broken anything in the fall, then you may have to have it sent in to the manufacturer, or we can sometimes replace the damaged components. Give us a call, and we can tell you your options.

My printer is not working properly, what do I do?

With the exception of laser printers, we unfortunately do not repair them. However, if it seems like a software issue, you could try to reinstall the drivers that came with your printer. If that doesn't work, try cleaning the heads from the printer control panel in Windows. If all else fails, here are some support phone numbers for common printer companies:

EPSON: 1-800-GO-EPSON
HEWLETT PACKARD: 1-877-621-4722
CANON: 1-800-OK CANON
LEXMARK: 1-800-LEXMARK

How to split a High-speed connection several ways:

You need:

• a router
• 1 network card per computer (if your computer does not have this built-in)
• network cable (if your computer does not have wireless capability)

Network Cards
Most computers manufactured after the year 2000 have a high-speed connection built-in, and many laptops after 2003 have wireless funtionality built-in. However, if you computer does not have this feature, you will need to add a network card. Wireless options are becoming increasingly popular because they forego the need to run wires everywhere, and if you have a laptop, you may use it with the wireless network here at McGill.

Routers
Routers split an single internet connection into several connections. To set it up follow these steps:

1. Connect your DSL/Cable Modem to the Wide Area Network Port (WAN) on the router
2. Connect each computer to one of the free ports on the router. If both your computer and your router have wireless capabilities, you can skip this step.
3. Turn everything on. The router will go through a self-diagnostic.
4. You then configure the router, using your web-browser as you would any web-page. (Explained later).
5. Set your username and password (if you have one) in the router, and then make the router connect to your DSL/Cable/LAN network.
6. Finished!

The router acts as an internet broker and connects to the internet for you. Then each computer connects to the router, and asks the router to get the information it wants. The router sends out the request, receives the information and then sends that information back to the correct computer. Most routers available nowadays support both wired and wireless connectivity. Typically, there are 4 physical ports in which to plug cables and support for up to 255 people to connect wirelessly (should the need ever arise...)

Configuring the Router
1. Enter the IP address of the Router (this should be written in the documentation for the router) into the address bar of your web browser.

• For most Linksys routers, this address is 192.168.1.1
• For most D-Link routers, this address is 192.168.0.1

2. Enter the password to access the router's configuration program. Notice for this example the "Realm" says Linksys BEFSR41, which is the name and model number of this particular router. Your documentation should have this password for you. In this (linksys) case, the password is "admin", with no user name.

3. The setup page will ask for information like the below. Sympatico DSL uses PPPoE (Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet). You must select enable, and enter the username and password for this connection. There is an option for connect on demand: I chose to disable this feature, and have my router to always be connected (Max Idle Time = 0). It is important that Obtain IP address automatically is selected. The rest should be left as it is. Videotron does not use PPPoE technology. Select "Disable" for PPPoE. The rest should stay the same.

4. The only other page of importance is the Status page. Click the Status tab to get here. For PPPoE, there is a status indicator of whether or not you are connected. If it says "Not Connected", then click the Connect button. Then you will be connected, and you are finished. You now have internet access. The rest of the page shows you information about IP addresses, which will probably not be important to you. **Note: You might also want to just check that DHCP is turned on (this is the default). Click the DHCP tab, and select "Enable" if it is not. For the number of computers entry, the number must be at least the number of computers you have connected to the router.

TroubleShooting
If you experience problems with your network, it could be:

1. Simple Stuff: The first rule is to check the simple stuff like re-verifying your username and password. Check that the router has power, and that everything is connected together.
2. Physical Connection Problems: On each port that you connect a patch (or network) cable into, there are green light indicators next to each port on the hub, on the network card on the back of your computer and/or on the laptop network card. Once you have connected the cables and turned everything on, you should see a green light, otherwise there is a problem with the connection. The router may have other lights on it indicating errors, connection speeds (ie: 10 or 100Mbit), and power. Consult your documentation for details on that.
3. The Up-Link Port: The Up-Link port on the Router is a special port that is shared with another port in the router, usually Port #1. This means that you can't have cable connected to both at the same time, or it won't work. The Up-link port is used when connecting two hubs (or a hub to a router) together.
4. Networking Protocols: Sometimes the programs you load on to your computer, such as AOL and others will install networking protocols for your computer to talk on the internet. It is possible for these protocols to conflict with what you might be trying to do now. If you see that you won't be using some of the protocols installed, you can eliminate one potential problem by removing them from your system. You only need one "adapter" installed, and one "TCP/IP protocol" to start. This protocol allows each computer to use your Network Interface Card (NIC) to talk to the router.
5. A Hardware Problem: This means that something is broken or a setting is not confgured properly for your hardware to work. These are usually the toughest to figure out, and are the last resort in diagnosis. The technical people at University Bytes can help you diagnose your computer. Give us a call. You will probably have to bring your computer into the store.