Technology Support - Housing - Oakland University

University Housing Network

Network Info
Wireless connectivity to OU’s network is provided in all of the residence halls and student apartments. In addition, most students have wired network ports available for use in their rooms or apartments. These ports are the fastest and most reliable connections on campus. To encourage use of these ports, Ethernet cables can be obtained by students at the University Housing Technology Helpdesk free of charge.

If you are having problems connecting to the WiFi, please contact the University Housing Network Helpdesk at (248) 370-2534 or wireless@oakland.edu.

All of our wireless access points are 802.11ac capable and support both the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz frequencies. However, due to the technological limitations of 2.4Ghz wireless networks it is highly recommended that students connect with an 802.11ac adapter for their wireless devices in order to take advantage of the performance benefits of the 5Ghz wireless technology. OU cannot guarantee reliable and consistent service on the 2.4Ghz WiFi network.

Oakland University provides the internal network with a next-generation firewall, but personal anti-virus software is not provided to students. University Housing highly recommends that you install and maintain security software on your computer. If you need recommendations for this type of program, technicians at the University Housing Technology Helpdesk will be able to provide you with suggestions for both free and paid-for options. Students should also keep their operating systems up-to-date with the latest patches and hardware drivers.

Register your computer

Any device that connects to OU’s network must be registered with our Bradford registration system using a valid OU NetID. There are no limits to the number of devices you can register, but students are responsible for any network activity that occurs on these devices, regardless of who is using them. Your device registration is not permanent and will need to be renewed approximately 120 days from the day it is first registered on campus.

You can register your computer and other network devices from an on-campus network connection at resnetreg.oakland.edu (requires ResNet sign-in) using the following directions:

Connect your computer to either the wireless or wired network.
Open an Internet browser.
Copy and paste or manually enter the following address: resnetreg.oakland.edu. Please note that your browser may view this page as “unsafe”; it is not, and you should bypass any warnings.
Agree to the Acceptable Use Policy.
Select Log In to ResNet.
Enter your NetID username in the password section (your username is your email name, without the @oakland.edu) at the bottom of the page, and select Continue to register.
If you meet the requirements to use the network, you will be redirected to a page stating you have been successfully registered. Your network settings will take a moment to reset, and you will then be able to use ResNet anywhere within the residence halls and apartments.

Connect game consoles or other electronics

You can register game consoles and other browser-less electronics by following the instructions or our instructional videos listed below. Please note that in the first step, you will need to successfully connect the device to the network before you attempt to register it. While you will fail connection tests and will not have access to the internet, it is a necessary step to allow the registration system to "see" the device on the network and complete registration.

Connect the device to the Housing wireless or wired network.
Using a previously registered computer, connect to the network, open a browser, and go to resnetreg.oakland.edu
Agree to the Acceptable Use Policy.
Select the link under Gaming and Electronic Devices.
At the bottom of the page that appears, enter your user ID credentials, along with the MAC address of your game console or device. You MUST enter the MAC in all capitals and use colons between the six sets of numbers/letters (i.e., 12:AB:34:CD:56:EF). You will then get a message stating that you have successfully registered your device.
Disconnect and reconnect the device to the network, or completely restart it to obtain a registered connection.

Click here for help on how to find the MAC address on common devices.

Instructional videos:
Amazon Alexa
Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 4
Smart TV
XBox One

Connect smartphones and tablets

On most devices, you should be able to go to the network registration page via your device's Internet browser and then register the device as you would a computer at resnetreg.oakland.edu. If you cannot access a web browser with your device, follow the steps listed for registering game consoles or other electronic devices.

You can register your smartphone or tablet by following the instructions in the sections above or by following our instructional video here.

Non-Permitted Devices

Use of any device capable of broadcasting a wireless signal in any manner is PROHIBITED in all residence halls and student apartments. These devices cause high levels of interference with the campus network which causes the degradation of WiFi performance.

Types of prohibited equipment include, but are not limited to:

personal wireless routers
wireless printers
cell phone wireless hotspots

Students who are found using this type of equipment will be forced to take it down and could face University Housing judicial procedures.

Desktop hubs and switches are not permitted on the OU network per Oakland University Policy #850. Use of these devices will result in the automatic shut down of your wired Ethernet port.

Illegal downloading

Illegal downloading of any kind, including the use of programs such as Limewire or Bittorrent, is prohibited on campus, and a judicial process that includes a temporary ban from the network will be carried out if you are caught by any governing body. Please visit the UTS webpage on downloading for more information.

Technology Helpdesk

The Technology Helpdesk can be contacted at:

423 Hamlin Hall
(248) 370-2534
wireless@oakland.edu

The University Housing Technology Helpdesk is a service offered by University Housing to all students living on campus. The Helpdesk exists to assist students with any technological problems that they might encounter while using OU’s network or their own personal computing devices.

Helpdesk hours of operation:

Hamlin

The Hamlin Hall Helpdesk hours for the winter 2021 semester will be posted soon.

Hillcrest

The Hillcrest Hall Helpdesk is closed for the winter 2021 semester.

Services offered

Assistance with connecting personal computers, gaming devices, smart phones, e-readers and other network-enabled devices to both the wired and wireless networks in the residence halls and student apartments
Attempted removal of viruses and malware from student computers
Assistance with syncing OU email to smartphones or iPods
Advice on technology purchases
Technical support for the Hamlin Hall Computer Lab
Minor hardware installations and repairs
Desktop support for University Housing auxiliary offices

Computer Labs and Workstations

Hamlin Computer Lab

The Hamlin Hall Computer Lab is located on the main floor of Hamlin Hall in room 423, behind the Hamlin Reception Desk. The computer lab is open 24 hours a day, and is available to all students who live in the residence halls. Additional public work stations are available in the main lobby of Oak View Hall, and Hillcrest Hall.

Please note that the computers in the lab are set to erase all new data and changes upon rebooting, and do so on a regular basis. Saving any work or information to the computers is not advised. University Housing is not responsible for any student data that is lost.

Student Technology Center

Serving all students of Oakland University, from beginners looking to learn the basics to experts seeking to hone their skills, the Student Technology Center's training, education and hands-on learning experiences offer on-campus services to meet OU students' ever-increasing technology needs.

Wepa Printing

University Housing offers five Wepa printing kiosks. These kiosks are located in the Hamlin Computer Lab, the main lobby of Hillcrest Hall, the main lobby of Oak View Hall, and outside of the Vandenberg Dining Center. For more information on Wepa printing services, please click here.