Network Registry Overview
Cornell's Network Registry policy, new in June 2004, requires all devices (including wireless hubs and switches) connected to the network to be registered in a central network registry maintained by Cornell Information Technologies (CIT). This set of web pages describe the registry service and the responsibilities of both network administrators and users under this policy.
When students subscribe to ResNet, their computers are automatically registered and they need take no further action. For everyone else, what steps are needed to register a device depend on where and how the device is connected to the network.
Why is a network registry needed?
- Problem resolution: The ability to identify the person who uses a particular computer makes it easy to notify and help that person if the computer starts causing a problem on the network (for example, if the computer becomes infected with a virus and starts spreading the infection to other machines).
- Security: When there's a security issue, such as a machine that may have been compromised or "hacked," sensitive data may be at risk and a fast response essential. The network registry makes it possible to locate affected machines and their owners rapidly.
- Cornell liability: Cornell is liable for what's on its network. Network registration helps Cornell control illegal activity that may occur on its network.
What is recorded in the network registry?
For a device to be registered, two pieces of information are required:
- The NetID or guest ID of the person responsible for the device
- The device's MAC address, which means the serial number of the device's network interface (a computer with two network interface cards, for example one wireless card and one ethernet card, will need to be registered twice)
A third piece of information is needed each time a registered device connects to the network:
- An IP address, which can be either temporarily or permanently assigned to a particular computer. The IP address is a four-part number such as 128.253.230.33. A host name associated with the IP address, such as netid.dept.cornell.edu, is not required by the policy but is strongly recommended.
The net at Cornell
Because of Cornell's diverse environment, the campus net is set up as a collection of subnets, each of which can be configured by its administrators to meet the needs of a particular area. A subnet might cover all or part of one building or a group of buildings. Each subnet has a range of contiguous IP addresses, for example, all addresses starting with 128.253.230.
To use online resources at Cornell or elsewhere, you need to be hooked up to the net.
Next: what the technical environment means to the user...
To be continued