What does being Quarantined mean?
Quarantining rooms is a method that Housing and the University use to prevent damage to our networks. Quarantines are done on a room-to-room basis. If you are quarantined, it is likely that either your computer, or your roommate's, has a virus or spyware. Neither you nor your roommate(s) will be able to access any online resources except Housing's quarantine network help pages. Your room will remain quarantined until the infected machine has been cleaned and a NetTech has verified this.
Reasons for being Quarantined
Typically, a room will be quarantined if either Housing or CITES detects a virus on one of the computers connected in the room. We may also quarantine machines that have not been updated. The quarantine network help pages contain instructions and files to clean and protect your computer. By placing infected machines on a separate network, we reduce the number of campus machines that will become infected, and keep the traffic on the normal network running smoothly. By using the quarantine network, we hope to reduce the number of disconnections from previous years.
How do I prevent my computer from getting Quarantined?
To prevent your computer from being placed on the Quarantine network you should install a virus scanner and make sure the virus definitions are not out of date. Also, it is wise to install and use a spyware scanner on a monthly basis. Make sure to update your Operating System when prompted by Microsoft, Apple, or Linux, etc.
What to do if you are Quarantined
Instructions for how to resolve quarantines are available on the quarantine network help pages. To preview the quarantine page click here. Open a web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.) and follow the instructions listed there. If the quarantine pages do not appear try typing in a website such as www.google.com and see if the pages then appear. Once you have completed the instructions, contact a NetTech to be taken out of the quarantine.
How will I know I was Quarantined?
When you have been quarantined, you will not be able to access any other internet websites besides the "Quarantine Pages." You will not be able to use AIM or other internet applications. When you open up your internet browser the first quarantine page you will see looks like this.