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RRZ
RRZ

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Network connection

Introduction

Your first point of contact for setting up the network connection at your workstation is the network administrator at your institute or department. Every system to be connected to the UHH network must be registered (for operational reasons) so that it receives a permanently assigned IP address and an entry in the Domain Name Service (DNS). The system automatically obtains the IP address and other network configuration data via DHCP. In some departments, the local network administrator manages the IP addresses assigned to your department. If there is no entry in the DNS for your computer, your local network administrator will either make the entry themselves or arrange for the entry to be made through the UHH RRZ. If you do not know who to contact, please contact the RRZ directly (see System Registration).

Please do not connect your system to the UHH network until you have received confirmation of the entry.

Preparatory Steps

Before connecting a system to the University of Hamburg network, you must verify that:

  • the connection jacks and the correct cables are available
  • the jacks are connected to and activated on the switch for TP (twisted-pair) cabling. Please contact your local network administrator or the RRZ network group

System Registration

To successfully connect your computer to the University of Hamburg network/Internet, we require the following information from you, which you should send to the RRZ Network Group using the online form if the entries are not made by your local network administrator.

  • Computer name (Note: Do not use spaces or special characters)
  • Device type (e.g., PC, printer, ...)
  • Physical (MAC) address (e.g., 00-60-A7-00-21-30)
  • Device location (e.g., Mittelweg 177)
  • Room number (e.g., 4092)
  • Port number (e.g., K10.D-02.19/20)
  • Department (e.g., Institute of Soil Science)
  • System administrator - Name
  • System administrator - Email address
  • Phone (e.g., 42838 - 7790)

End-device authentication at the network outlet (802.1X) and PortSecurity

With device authentication according to the IEEE 802.1X standard, the network outlet (via the switch behind it) checks whether the connected computer is authorized to access the University of Hamburg network. Therefore, all computers intended for use on the University of Hamburg network must be registered before use (see above).

As part of the preparations for the transition of telephony to NGN/VoIP (telephony over the data network), 802.1X is being activated at an increasing number of UHH locations, as this is a prerequisite for the secure operation of telephones on the UHH network. Since authentication takes place at the network port, all other devices must also identify themselves in order to continue communicating with the UHH network. This also enhances the security of the UHH communication network, as it prevents unauthorized devices from accessing the UHH data network.

In exchange for this increased security, a few rules must be observed:

For administrators:

  • Enter the devices in IP-Control with the correct MAC address and the type ‘Manual-DHCP’.
  • Only use mini-switches after consulting with the RRZ network team.
  • Note that only 10 MAC addresses per network port (Cisco switch) are permitted. If there are more MAC addresses on the same port, it will be automatically disabled.
  • Note that only one phone and one additional device (e.g., PC) may be connected to Nexans switches per port.

For on-site users and administrators:

  • Connect only one device per port or one device behind the NGN phone.
  • Do not connect any phones behind mini-switches.
  • Connect no more than one NGN phone per network port.

Occasionally, communication problems occur on devices that were previously functioning normally during the activation of 802.1X. If 802.1X is already in use at your location, you should therefore consult our 802.1X FAQ if you encounter any issues.

Personal Laptops

If you wish to connect your personal laptop to the University of Hamburg’s data network to access the Internet, use the Sophos antivirus scanner update service, or access specific research resources at the university libraries and the State Library, it is recommended in most cases to use the University of Hamburg’s public network access points (Wi-Fi and/or special, blue-marked connection ports).

Further information on the access procedure and the locations of the public network access points can be found on the following website:

Wi-Fi - Public Network Access - VPN at UHH

If you wish to register a personal laptop for connection to the non-public university network, please submit the following form (PDF) in addition to the registration form.

IPControl Admins

Administrators registered with the network group can log users in and out of the system and make changes directly via the IP address management system “IPControl.”

Please use this building list for registration.

The IPControl conventions can be found in this PDF document.

Problems or Questions

If you have any problems or questions, please contact the RRZ Service Line.

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