FAQs - internet access

Access | Configuration | Usage | Security and privacy | Decommissioning and web proxies

Access

Will my access change when I use the new Monash internet service?

The first time you attempt to load an external web page you will be prompted to enter your Authcate username and password.
After you have logged in, you will not need to login for that session again unless your computer is

idle for 30 minutes as the system will log you out at this time
logged out of a lab environment.

You can logout immediately by clicking on: Internet logout.
The process of logging in (known as ‘authentication’) was implemented to provide accurate University account keeping and billing.
Dial-up modem accounts

Staff/postgraduate external modem accounts provide internet access within and outside of the Monash domain and do not require any special configuration.
Student modem accounts are restricted to the Monash domain and no external internet access is available.

How will I access shared systems such as SNG, or YOYO access the Internet?

When you are using a machine with multiple simultaneous users

that is centrally funded by ITS or a faculty you may not be required to authenticate
that is not centrally funded you will need to access the Internet via the existing web proxy service.

Is an authentication exemption possible?

Yes. By default all server subnets (network areas) are exempted from user authentication for Internet access and all Staff/Student subnets are set up to require users to authenticate. Local faculty IT support can however exempt individual staff/student workstations from user authentication by selecting "IP authentication" in the host registration system Addhost.

Configuring my browser and computer

How do I configure my browser for internet access?

The default browser settings should work on any computer unless they have been previously configured to use the Monash web proxy service.
If your computer has been configured to use the Monash web proxy service then use the the detailed instructions on how to configure Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox at internet access configuration
Staff and students connecting to the web from home via a Monash modem account will not need to make any changes.

How do I configure my computer so that all applications can access the internet?

No configuration changes are needed if you have first opened a web browser window and authenticated for internet access by attempting to browse to an external website. Internet access for all applications on a staff/student workstation will be blocked until the user has authenticated via a web browser.
Exception: unless the workstation is configured for "IP authentication" see exemptions below.

Usage and costs

Why is student and staff internet usage logged?

All Internet traffic activities are logged against a user’s username and workstation IP address for security and auditing purposes and allow for accurate billing for usage on an individual and departmental basis.

How are the Internet costs allocated ?

Student usage is billed to the faculty which runs the course (course owning faculty). Each faculty sets guidelines on the amount of usage it considers acceptable for their students to use each semester (see Faculty internet usage limit). Staff and post graduate student internet use is charged to the department to which they belong. Internet usage tariffs are detailed under network usage tariffs.

I live on campus at Monash Residential or Mannix College. How are my Internet costs allocated?

When using the internet from faculty, library or central computer labs or via the Monash wireless service, your usage costs will be billed to the faculty which runs your degree. This usage will be subject to Faculty internet usage limit. When using the Internet from your dormitory room or a computer lab within your residence, your usage costs will be charged to you via your monthly accommodation invoice. Your residential internet usage is not quoted and will be charged at the network usage tariffs plus GST. You can check the break down between your residential and faculty internet usage at any time via my.monash.edu.au.

Can I save costs by downloading from local mirror sites?

Yes. Most Australian university networks and the Australia's Academic and Research Network (AARNET) provide ftp mirrors which are repositories of many current freely available software publications such as Linux distributions. These research and education networks are labeled "on-net" and are not subject to volume based charges and therefore do not get counted towards student quotas. see http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/

Are there any free sites that don't count towards my quota?

Yes. Monash does not pay volume based charges for downloading from "on-net" locations including most Australian research and education networks and many international R&E networks. This includes Australian universities connected via the Australia's Academic and Research Network (AARNET), a number of European and US universities and a few companies like Microsoft. You can check to see if a particular web site is considered "on-net" via AARNet3 Network Address Query. On-net downloads will show up in staff/student usage reports under the region "on-net" but with a cost value of $0.

Security and privacy

What internet applications are blocked/firewalled via the Monash internet service?

The Monash internet service blocks known peer-to-peer applications/protocols such as bittorrent and kazaa. Staff and student workstations are also blocked from running unofficial internet services such as a web server.
Monash internet service complies with the Monash network access control policy (NACP) and Acceptable use of information technology facilities by students policy.

The firewall rules are designed to reduce the risk of virus and other internet threats attacking staff and student machines.

Does the Internet service keep records of sites individual users have visited? If so, who will have access to this information?

Yes. While detailed logs are kept, the information of primary interest to Monash is total Internet usage by staff and students on a faculty-wide basis. Individual usage and content records are only accessible by faculty administrators upon request and requires authorisation from Staff and Student services.

What reports are provided to faculties and organisational units?

There are a number of reports available to designated officers within the organisational units (Resources or Finance or Admin Managers). The designated officers can generate summary staff, student and server usage reports within their organizational unit and also produce the same individual usage report available to all staff and students via the my.monash.edu portal.

Decommissioning and web and socks proxy

How and when will the existing web proxy service be decommissioned?

The current Monash web proxy service is scheduled to be decommissioned in December 2008. The new internet service will replace the current web proxy service.

Use of the existing web proxy service is limited to faculties that are yet to migrate their student networks to public IP address ranges. You can view the migration schedule to find out if the new internet service is available to you or if you still need to make use of the web and/or socks proxy service. Alternatively you can configure your machine prior to the scheduled rollout.

For more general information about proxy authentication for staff and students, please read staff internet access and student internet access information.

What are the web and socks proxies?

Prior to 2008 all staff and student Internet use was controlled via the web and socks proxy server farm. These services provided the ability for staff and students on the Monash private and public IP networks to authenticate for Internet access.

These services are being decommissioned during 2008 and all staff and students are encouraged to utilise the new internet service. Faculty IT staff will be steadily migrating staff and student machines during 2008. Staff and students who administer their own laptops/workstation can migrate to the new service by following the internet access configuration procedure.

I still need to use the web or socks proxy service. Where can I find information on these services?

If you are still accessing the Monash network on a private IP address (eg; 172.16.17.1) then you will still need to use the web and socks proxy for Internet access. Support for these existing services is available via: