Getting an IP address in CSL

This page details connecting to the CSL building network using ethernet cabling.

You can also connect to the CSL Wireless network.

The CSL building network technical support group maintains a DHCP server. You don't have to use DHCP to obtain an IP address, but it's easier if you do.

To get an IP address and DHCP entry, gather:

the ethernet address of the network adapter
the desired hostname

Send them to:

Decision & Control: help@control.csl.uiuc.edu
VLSI/iCIMS: help@uivlsi.csl.uiuc.edu
Others: tech@csl.uiuc.edu

The ethernet address will be shown as a 12-character hexadecimal string, sometimes separated by dashes "-" or colons ":". You'll get a DHCP entry, which will let your computer receive its network configuration from the building DHCP server. It saves a huge hassle, since you can go to Grainger Library, for instance, and plug in your DHCP-enabled laptop there with no changes to your setup.

There are several ways to find your ethernet address, but here is what I usuallly do:

Windows 9x:

Start -> Run ->[ winipcfg ]

Then cut and paste from winipcfg window into email message.

Windows NT/2000:

 Start -> Run ->[ cmd ]

and then in the Command window:

   ipconfig /all > tmpf
   notepad tmpf (cut/paste into email)
   del tmpf

See also winipcfg-bat.txt

The second paragraph of the output will look something like this:


   Ethernet adapter Elnk31:

        Description . . . . . . . . : ELNK3 Ethernet Adapter.
        Physical Address. . . . . . : E0-00-4F-DE-D7-09
        ....

Then cut and paste from winipcfg window into email message.

Linux:

ifconfig -a

The output will have a paragraph like:


eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr A0:80:54:F3:3E:1B
          inet addr:130.126.136.353  Bcast:130.126.143.255
          Mask:255.255.248.0
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1

Then cut/paste that into your email.

Host Name Selection

For the host name, you get some latitude. Decision and Control usually use the last names of mathematicians or other people important to the history of engineering. iCIMS uses either something innocuous, like "vlsipc3", or place names, like "hawaii". Or, you can use CSL-YourNetID. Or, you can make something up.

To see if a host named hostname is taken, from a UNIX or Windows command prompt (from a connected machine) use the command:

    nslookup hostname