Networking - Wired Connections - UT GenNet
These instructions pertain to updated wired connections which require a login or authenication (same as “utexas” Wi-Fi). This wired network supports 802.1X authentication (ie EID and EID password login) and is known as UT General Networks (GenNet). For devices that can’t authenticate via 802.1X, you can register the device via the MAC address. This is called MAC Address Bypass (MAB).
For any other wired connection assistance, please contact ME IT at mech-it@austin.utexas.edu.
Physically connecting
If you are having issues connecting, contact ME IT at mech-it@austin.utexas.edu to make sure the wall port is wired and configured correctly. Make sure to give us:
The UT tag # or other description of the device being connected.
The label of the wall port being used.
Room # of the port you are connecting to.
Connect the computer to the directly to the wall port with a Cat 5e or Cat 6 Ethernet cable.
Use of unmanaged networking switches (ie a 5-port desk switch) is generally against UT policy and will cause issues. Please contact ME IT for assistance.
Connecting personal (not UT-owned) computers to the wired network is not allowed unless ME IT grants an exception for you. It is against UT policy to use personal computers for UT business/research. Please ask your supervisor/PI for a UT computer. Computer procurement must go through ME IT.
Remote access information for GenNet Protected devices can be found at the top on this page.
Logging into the network
WINDOWS
Windows computers have a policy applied that should log them into the GenNet with current EID credentials. If not, you can use the MAB method below.
For ME IT-managed computers where the user is logging in with their EID and EID password, you should automatically be connected to UT GenNet on wired connections. No further action required in most cases.
If your computer does not connect automatically, your UT computer may not be fully supported/configured by ME IT and compliant with UT policy. That issue needs to be resolved as well by contacting ME IT, but please follow the directions below for "OTHER" to connect. Please see notes for shared computers or other temporarily assigned devices.
APPLE/MacOS
If you received the pop-up above, enter in your EID/password and leave the “Remember this information” checked. Leave the “No certification selected” in the drop down. Click OK.
Select “Continue” on the Verify Certificate screen.
Enter you computer login password and click Update Settings.
You should now be connected!
If this doesn’t work for you, please see the OTHER section below to connect via MAB. Please see notes below for shared computers or other temporarily assigned devices.
Linux or OTHER (MAC Address Bypass - MAB) - Please see notes about shared computers
Find the wired network MAC address of the device you want to connect (https://www.wikihow.com/Find-the-MAC-Address-of-Your-Computer)
Follow the directions at https://ut.service-now.com/sp?id=kb_article&number=KB0019178 to register the device for connecting to GenNet.
When entering a description for the device, please use "dept-UTtag#" (e.g. ME-123456)
IMPORTANT NOTES
If registering your MAC address to connect to GenNet, the default and general recommendation is to use the “Protected” profile. Please see this page for more details.
A device can only be registered to one GenNet port at a time via MAB. If you need to connect your device to another wired GenNet port, you must re-register it at https://network.utexas.edu.
For shared (multi-user) computers that don’t support 802.1X (EID) authentication to GenNet, please have the responsible faculty member register the device (device must be plugged into a GenNet configured port) or send the MAC address of the Ethernet port or adapter being used, the computer’s UT asset tag or computer name, and the EID of the PI to mech-it@austin.utexas.edu and we will register it for you.
Most devices do not need to be registered via MAC address to connect to UT GenNet as 802.1X (EID and EID password authentication) should be the most common way to connect. GenNet registration links the device and its GenNet connection to the EID who registers it, so this should only be done by someone with an individually assigned UT computer or by the PI who is responsible for the computer. Individually assigned computers that are registered on GenNet but then reassigned to a new user at a later date will need have that registration deleted and the device re-registered on GenNet. Please contact ME IT at mech-it@austin.utexas.edu for assistance with that if needed.
If you move a GenNet registered device to another GenNet port, the original registration may need to be deleted and a new registration created.
Please contact mech-it@austin.utexas.edu if you have any issues.