Welcome freshm-en ... err ... first years. By this time - although you're still getting settled in and adjusting to dorm life - you may be enjoying your ultra-fast Ethernet Internet connection. Also, many of you are most likely drooling over the shiny new computers Mom and Dad were kind enough to purchase for you. But whether you've brought a new uber-fast top-of-the-line Dell or an older, more broken-in computer, you're bound to experience a few computing snags and hiccups. Fear not my friends, for I have written this article just for you. Yes, I've crammed my allotted space chock full of computer how-to, and I have thrown in a few words of computer wisdom, as well. Sophomores through seniors: You're not off the hook yet. Take a glance, as you too may find this article useful.

The first problem you may experience upon moving in is getting connected to the Internet and our on-campus network. You should have received instructions on how to connect your Ethernet cable to your phone and computer, so I'll skip that part. But once you've connected all cables and verified that they're firmly in place, you'll need to turn on your computer and register it on the network. Just point your browser to unet.brandeis.edu and follow the instructions for registering your computer.

If you were unable to connect to the Internet - even after double-checking your cables and restarting your computer - give the helpdesk a call at 9-UNET. Or better yet, grab the nearest computer savvy kid on your hall and make friends with him quickly (At the beginning of the year, UNet is often overloaded and you may have to wait several days for an appointment).

The next step is to get your computer protected against viruses. To do that, you'll need to install Norton AntiVirus. This program is included on the UNet CD you should have received on opening Sunday, so you can find its installation program there or, if you prefer, you may download it from http://virus.brandeis.edu/clients.

Left-click the version that corresponds to your operating system (for example: "Windows 98"or "Windows XP" or "Macintosh") and save the program to your desktop. Once you've saved the program to your desktop, double click on its icon to run it. During the installation you will be asked to choose "managed" or "unmanaged." Pick "unmanaged" and click "next."

After you finish the installation, open up Norton AntiVirus and click on the "Live Update" button to update your virus definitions. If you received an error message while installing, you may have a virus on your computer. If so, this is a good time to give UNet a call and have them take a look.

For those of you inclined to skip this step or put it off until later, keep in mind that nearly 20 percent of last year's students came to campus with one or more viruses. Besides, should your computer come down with a nasty cold, we won't hesitate to disconnect it from the network - and that's never very much fun.

Windows 2000 and XP users: to finish protecting your computer against viruses or would-be hackers, make sure you're logging into your computer appropriately. To do this, visit http://web.brandeis.edu/pages/view/Network/SetAdminPassword.

Finally, to patch any security holes, prevent any computing quirks and to otherwise keep your machine running smoothly, head over to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com and download all the critical updates. Macintosh OS X users should click on "System Preferences," which is found on the Dock, then click on "Software Update" and finally click on "Check For Updates." Pre-OS X users can find the same feature under "Control Panels" in the Apple Menu.

Now that you're all set up, you're probably itching to start your mp3 binging, but first a word of caution: As you may have heard, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has begun filing law suits against music file sharers - college kids (that's you!) in particular. If you use KaZaA or any other file-sharing program, you need to know that the RIAA often scans campus networks for copyright infringing files and may send a stern legal letter to our Department of Web Services. At the very least, they will sever your Internet connection until the files are removed.

Not only are programs like KaZaA legally risky, but they waste precious bandwidth, which means that downloading will be much slower for everyone else on campus. If you must use KaZaA, (and 10/10 UNet consultants recommend NOT using it) do the polite thing and make sure to exit the program completely when not using it. If you're not sure how to do this, ask a friend, call 9-UNET or instant-message us at Brandeis UNet.

New students should also be aware that a healthier alternative to KaZaA exists through our very own Boogle. Owned and maintained by the Computer Operators Group, Boogle (boogle.agblog.com) is a campus network search engine that enables you to search for shared files and folders.

For more information on Brandeis policies on filesharing or how to remove programs like KaZaA, please visit http://web.brandeis.edu/pages/view/Network/FileSharingBandwidth.

Remember, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," is especially true with computers. Should you ever need our services, UNet is there to help. Feel free to stop by if you have any questions or concerns; we're located in the Shapiro Campus Center library, and visitors are always welcome.