I just moved into a student dorm for a semester abroad, and beforehand I emailed them asking whether they had ethernet ports to plug my router into (I use it to connect all my devices, and for WiVRn VR streaming). They confirmed that I could, but now that I’m here the wifi login portal is asking me to accept these terms from the ISP, which forbid plugging in a router. There’s another clause that forbids “Disruptive Devices” entirely, defined as:

“Disruptive Device” means any device that prevents or interferes with our provision of the 4Wireless to other customers (such as a wireless access point such as wireless routers) or any other device used by you in breach of the Acceptable Use Policy;

So what are my options? I don’t think I can use this service without accepting the terms, but also I was told by the student dorm support that I could bring a router, which contradicts this.

EDIT: some additional context:

  • dorm provider is a company separate from my uni (they have an agreement but that’s it)
  • ISP (ask4) is totally separate from dorm provider, and have installed a mesh network that requires an account. On account creation, there are many upsells including one for connecting more than one device. The “free” plan only allows me to sign in on a single device, and I can upgrade to two devices for 15 pounds.
  • ethernet requires login too
  • VR streaming requires a high performance wifi 6 network, which is why I bought this router (Archer C6 from tp-link)
  • maniii@lemmy.worldEnglish
    448·
    2 months ago

    Mighty unpopular opinion here.

    OP you are there at the Uni to learn to grow and pass the course+exams. If you need to do extracurricular activities, please setup time at home, travel home to do those things.

    If home is faraway and you still want to do it, find a reliable off-campus-non-dorm location and do your stuff from there.

    Your main objective is to get through Uni without falling behind and managing your time and effort wisely. If you fail Uni because you focused too much on non-essential activities, be a responsible adult and accept the results of your adult decisions.

    Edit: I never said that OP shouldn’t do non-Uni activities. Just that time+effort has to be MANAGED between the two. Life isnt fair and life doesnt give two shits if you fuck up. That is what being an adult means.

    Edit2: I can see people commenting on Universities imposing mandatory dorm fees. Do you people not choose which university to apply and get accepted? Did you not think…“this uni is very strict, or this uni has a lot of on-campus resources, or this uni has great course-materials, etc etc” … and it would also include “this uni dorm is optional/mandatory and I can live there cheap or live outside expensive or it is bum-ducking nowhere but fields/forests/wilderness” … you did choose that uni to attend and paid up ?

    • CileTheSane@lemmy.caEnglish
      38·
      2 months ago

      As I understand it, people live in the dorms. Trying to focus on schoolwork 24/7 is an excellent way to burn yourself out and not graduate. Having down time for “non -essential activities” is important for mental health.

      • maniii@lemmy.worldEnglish
        122·
        2 months ago

        Yes but dorms are optional. No one attending Uni is forced to live in the dorms. Uni is not a boarding school at least to my knowledge.

        • Soggy@lemmy.worldEnglish
          11·
          2 months ago

          Lots of schools have a “freshmen must live on campus” policy, at least.

          • maniii@lemmy.worldEnglish
            111·
            2 months ago

            “schools” ? This is university. Quite surprising to hear that Universities would have a policy “freshmen MUST live on campus”. Must be some kind of extreme private boarding “school”. I feel bad for you if you went to such a Uni.

            • computergeek125@lemmy.worldEnglish
              3·
              2 months ago

              This is true of a even some public universities in the US. I can’t remember if it was a rule where I was, but definitely most freshman did just live in dorms.

              Lot of folks brought their own desktops to set up, and we were allowed Ethernet switches to hook up multiple devices - had to be wired. Wireless had two options, WPA# 802.1X or unencrypted captive portal guest. If your device didn’t support that, it had to be wired by policy.

              And they weren’t wrong, I did a radio scan and they had the full sized enterprise access points about as good as they could (with a few low signal exceptions, and the air waves were still overloaded with too many people. The building uplink was perfectly fine, it was just overcrowded wireless.

            • JasonDJ@lemmy.zipEnglish
              3·
              2 months ago

              This is common in America. We do it so that universities don’t have to compete with private landlords.

            • Trainguyrom@reddthat.comEnglish
              2·
              2 months ago

              The state university in the town I live in has a policy that freshmen must live in the dorms unless they already live within city limits (small college town, so the university literally has a student body of about 1/2 the permanent residents of the town)

        • GeekFTW@lemmy.zipEnglish
          10·
          2 months ago

          That is not universal. My local university forces you to pay to live on campus in the dorms for the first 2 years of your attendance regardless. You can choose to live elsewhere but you’re still paying the fees and no student is paying for two places to live lmao

          • maniii@lemmy.worldEnglish
            35·
            2 months ago

            It sucks if the University you chose forced such rules on students and included dorm as part of the tuition expenses. I cant imagine people taking on student debt with such high tuition+boarding. I guess anyone accepting at that local University is forced into this situation.

        • CileTheSane@lemmy.caEnglish
          31·
          2 months ago

          Completely irrelevant to your prior point of “you’re at Uni to learn AND NOTHING ELSE!!!”

          People live in the dorms, that is what they are for. Part of living is having down time.

    • tr0n1um@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      14·
      2 months ago

      Life does not stop because he is there. Maybe VR is one of his Hobbies that could evolve in into a career. He should not stop life because of uni. It is also something you have to learn there, to balance work with your private life.

      • maniii@lemmy.worldEnglish
        215·
        2 months ago

        University is your life choice. If your life hobbies are impacting your choice to attend your chosen university, you still are a responsible adult.

        Have hobbies, but don’t deny your responsibilities for making your own choices in your own life.

    • mat@linux.communityOPEnglish
      2·
      2 months ago

      While I see where you’re coming from, I do need to clarify two things:

      • I use VR mainly for two things: Beat Saber, and sometimes C++ game development (my degree). I can’t develop on-headset because of the limitations Facebook imposes, so I am stuck with streaming. I am taking my own path through these studies, for example I rewrote all the assignments and engines to CMake and then Linux which has allowed me to learn a whole lot more than if I simply followed the classes. I wish to mess with networking as another extension to my studies, as it’s not covered at all and now is the time I have dedicated 100% to learning (vs later in life).
      • I didn’t really choose this university: I chose to do an exchange program for a semester and this was the one option that matched my interests/degree. And the uni seems awesome so far (we haven’t started courses though). The dorm is a separate entity from the uni, but they do have a deal to provide rooms for half a year for exchange students. So this dorm was my best option to avoid a yearlong contract.
      • maniii@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        2 months ago

        So, since this is related to your course and a required part of assignments, get things in writing,

        1. Let the Dorm and ISP know that you need an exception due to coursework.

        2. It might be in your best interest to temporarily invest in your own internet,I think 5G might have low enough latency to manage the connection.

        If all this is for one semester until you move back ? Just get a cheap mini-PC install pfSense or any other firewall/router software to isolate all your devices and Wifi router from the rest of the network. I believe some people have mentioned MAC-spoofing and TTL-reset as ways to bypass detection. And if anyone asks, you can show your written communications and your course requirements.

        Always be on the safe side when it comes to dealing with academics and private orgs.

        There might be a Dept Counselor or Rep you can discuss about your requirements. Even professors can help with some of these kind of things.

    • CileTheSane@lemmy.caEnglish
      1·
      2 months ago

      I never said that OP shouldn’t do non-Uni activities. Just that time+effort has to be MANAGED between the two

      I mean, obviously.

      So if your only point is that time+effort needs to be managed between the two, what does that have to do with OP’s question? OP asking what their options are doesn’t mean they are neglecting to manage their time between the two.