hey, have a question about hardware identification

urieluriel
edited September 2009 in Science & Tech
Hey everybody, new to the site.

Down to business. At my college they have this stupid policy where you have to have a laptop with all of these ridiculous hardware upgrades just to access their wifi. It is obviously a ploy to force you to rent a laptop, and this pisses me off. They force you to download a program that checks your computer's hardware before allowing you access to the network.

I've been looking up changing the system's properties, but before I do that I thought I would ask the guru's opinion. I can provide a copy of the authentication program if anyone would like to take a look at it.

Many thanks,

U

Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited September 2009
    I'd be more interested in knowing what specifications the program is expecting.
  • urieluriel
    edited September 2009
    1.6 core 2 duo processor, 3 gbs ram, 120 gb harddrive, 128 mb dedicated videocard, XP professional, or vista.
  • mtroxmtrox Minnesota
    edited September 2009
    That hardware (esp the combo of 3 Gig RAM and dedicated video) puts you in about the top 10th percentile of the laptops I'm on every day. And I'm on a lot of laptops.
  • AnnesAnnes Tripped Up by Libidos and Hubris Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited September 2009
    Are you sure this is a hardware detecting program and not a malware/virus/updates checker? My college instituted the latter my last year in school. I've never heard of the former, which sounds rather ridiculous.
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited September 2009
    Those specs aren't really out of this world. The only thing that wouldn't really be standard anymore for even the last couple years would be 3gb of ram and the XP/Vista pro/business requirement. That would prevent a large number of home laptops from connecting.

    I can understand some reasons to limit hardware from old machines, but that 3gb ram just seems very weired as does the OS restrictions as that would prevent mac's and *nix boxes. Unless they are using proprietary software for connections like Cisco VPN software for example. It'd also prevent netbooks from connecting and I can see a very small rational in that becuase netbooks are even more prone to virus infection given that people using them don't see them the same as a full computer.
  • urieluriel
    edited September 2009
    When I ran the program it directed me to a page that said it would not allow me to connect because I had insufficient hardware upgrades, it then listed that my processor, hardrive, graphics card, operating system, optical drive and RAM were out of date. I have a fujitsu tablet so upgrading is out of the question.

    They make a special exception for mac laptops, theres a large number of graphics students.
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited September 2009
    Have you tried contact the IT dept there to see what's up?
  • AnnesAnnes Tripped Up by Libidos and Hubris Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited September 2009
    Where do you go to school, Uriel? That policy is a bit ridiculous to me.
  • urieluriel
    edited September 2009
    Sheridan in Ontario, Canada.

    I couldn't get in to talk to the IT dept because the line up was 75 people deep. My friend did talk to them and according to him they have that policy because they want us to have the best computers possible to use Autocad... even though we have labs dedicated to autocad use, and we have time allotted to use them.

    Just... so much rage. If I had actually taken the course because I wanted the degree I would be pissed at the disrespect the faculty shows their students. Really I just want unlimited access to their CNC lab.
  • mtroxmtrox Minnesota
    edited September 2009
    I know that school. Has a good reputation for computer animation stuff doesn't it?

    Cripes uriel. If you're using AutoCad you need a dedicated graphics card and 3 Gigs or RAM. That makes sense. I hope they told you that before everyone went to Best Buy a month ago with a $600 budget. But testing that so you can get on their WiFi seems and odd way to enforce it.
  • urieluriel
    edited September 2009
    Between the labs they have and my computer at home I have no need to spend 1000+ for a laptop. I only use the tablet for notes and checking facts.

    So back to the original query, is there any way to fool a hardware checking program?
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