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Before you get to USCA...
To help your arrival on campus go as smoothly as possible, we’ve compiled the following information and suggestions. Being familiar with this information and completing as many of the suggested tasks before arriving will make your first days at school much less stressful.
Requirements for Accessing the USCA Network
The USCA student housing network (USCA Network) and our wireless network (USCAMAC) are both protected by Cisco Clean Access. The Clean Access Agent serves several purposes and is required on all non-University owned computers that connect to the network through student housing and/or the wireless network.
The Clean Access Agent first serves to authenticate the user with their USCA Network username and password as they login to the network. If the user can not be validated, access will not be granted. You should receive your USCA Network account information before you arrive. If you have any problems with your account, please contact the Helpdesk at 803-641-3502 from off-campus or at extension 4357 from the on-campus phone system.
Secondly, the Clean Access Agent checks the computer to see if any updates are necessary. This includes checking for the necessary Windows updates and for anti-virus protection. If any of these components should need to be updated, temporary access is granted so that the updates can be performed. During this temporary access period, connectivity is limited to the Windows update sites and to most standard anti-virus sites. Once all updates have been performed, full access to the internet will be granted.
For more information on the Clean Access Agent, as well as detailed instructions on how to install the agent on your system, see the Installing and Using Clean Access document under Clean Access on the CSD Helpdesk site.
Tasks to Complete Before You Arrive
If you are a new or returning student here at USCA, here are some recommended things that you can do before arriving on campus with your computer. Completing these tasks before arriving will help you avoid problems connecting to the USCA network.
- Check the Minimum System Requirements: USCA maintains a listing of minimum system requirements for both existing computer and any you plan to purchase new. You should compare your system to these requirements and ensure that it meets the suggested standard before arriving. The Minimum System Requirements can be found under New Students on the CSD Helpdesk site.
- Perform Windows Updates: Depending on your prior updates, this may take as many as 5 update and reboot sessions to get your computer completely updated. For instructions on performing a Windows Update see the Windows Updates document under Windows on the CSD Helpdesk site.
- Update Virus Protection: Make sure your virus definitions are up to date, as well as any program updates associated with your particular anti-virus program. If your subscription to a particular anti-virus program has expired, you must either purchase a new subscription to update it or USCA can provide Trend OfficeScan Anti-Virus protection. It is highly recommended that you perform a full virus scan on your computer before arriving on campus. This is especially true if you have been without virus protection or your virus protection has not been updated.
- Gather Your Software: Be sure that you gather together any software installation disks and/or restore disks for your system. These should be brought with you to school along with any registration, key, or licensing codes which might be required to install them. If you run into computer problems after arriving, these materials will be required by any technician to assist you. In the case of a catastrophic system failure, the only alternative would be costly replacement software. Avoid these additional costs and ensure you bring your software with you.
- Suggested Software: If you do not already have the following software installed on your system, we suggest installing them before arriving. You will have access to this software on lab and classroom computers; however, having it already installed on your personal system will be a definite benefit. We suggest: Microsoft Office (any version including at least Microsoft Word) and Adobe Acrobat Reader (available free from Adobe.com).
