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Hardware and Operating System Recommendations

To be sure that your computer will have enough power to do your daily work. We recommend that your hardware and operating system meet the minimum recommendations listed on the Hardware and Software Recommendations document. If your computer does not meet these recommendations you may have difficulty running the software that you need. 

For information on purchasing a computer see, Computer Sales in the University Store.  The store offers academic pricing on computer hardware and software.  Also, Carnegie Mellon faculty, staff and students can take advantage of low pricing on Dell computers through Procurement Services. 

Note: Hardware and software recommendations listed on the Hardware and Software Recommendations document were developed by Computing Services; however, students should check with their respective college or graduate school's recommendations to be sure that their computer complies.

Other Hardware You'll Need

In order to establish a WIRED Ethernet connection, you'll need an Ethernet card, Ethernet cable and possibly an adapter called a Pass-through (previously referred to as a balun). 
  • Ethernet Card: Most newer computers come with Ethernet built-in. If you're not sure if you already have an Ethernet card, see About Wired & Wireless Ethernet below.
  • Ethernet Cable: The cable is used to connect your Ethernet card to the data outlet on the wall. The most commonly purchased length for use in campus housing is 14'.
  • Pass-through (balun): This is an adapter that allows you to connect the cable to the network outlet. Not all residence halls require the use of Pass-throughs; check the residence hall list to determine if you need one. For more information on Pass-throughs, visit the Adapter section of the Connecting to the Campus Network document.
In order to establish a WIRELESS Ethernet connection, you'll need a wireless Ethernet card. 

About Wired and Wireless Ethernet Cards

To determine if you have a Wired Ethernet or Wireless card, follow these steps:

Windows Vista

  1. Select Start > Control Panel. Select Category > Hardware and Sound.
  2. Double-click on Device Manager, and then click Continue.
  3. The Device Manager list appears. Click the (+) sign next to Network Adapters.
  • If you have a WIRED Ethernet card you will see an entry that includes "Ethernet" in the name.
  • If you have a WIRELESS card you should see a "Wireless" or "WLAN" or "ORiNOCO" entry.

Windows XP

  1. Select Start > Control Panel.
  2. Double-click System. (If you don't see System, click Switch to Classic View under Control Panel.)
  3. Select the Hardware tab, then click Device Manager. The Device Manager list appears.
  4. Click the (+) sign next to Network Adapters.
  • If you have a WIRED Ethernet card you will see an entry that includes "Ethernet" in the name.
  • If you have a WIRELESS card you should see a "Wireless" or "WLAN" or "ORiNOCO" entry.

Macintosh OS X

  1. Select Apple menu > System preferences, then click the Network icon.
  2. Click the Show: pull down menu and select Network Port Configurations.
  • If you have a wired card you'll see an entry for "Ethernet" or "Built in Ethernet".
  • If you have a wireless card you'll see an entry for "Airport".

What is my Ethernet card's MAC address?

Carnegie Mellon's network registration process automatically detects your hardware address (also referred to as a "MAC" or "Media Access Control" address). However, if the automatic detection process fails you may need to determine the address yourself.

Note: A hardware address consists of twelve hexadecimal values, sometimes in a continuous string, other times separated by dashes or colons (e.g., 00-00-0C-03-F3-55 or 00000C03F355). No two network cards have the same MAC address; some computers may have more than one network card (e.g., one for wireless and one for wired).

If you recently purchased a card, the Ethernet hardware address can usually be found somewhere on the card itself. If the card is already installed on your computer, you need to determine the address through commands. To do so, follow the appropriate steps for your computer's operating system type:

Windows XP or Vista

  1. Click on the Start button.
  2. Select Programs (Windows XP computers select All Programs), then select the Accessories folder.
  3. Select the Command Prompt application. At the MS DOS prompt, type ipconfig/all, and press Enter.
  4. Locate the appropriate Physical Address field(s) in the list and write down the 12 character alpha-numeric string(s) that appear next to the field. If you notice two entries for Physical Address, it is probably because you have two Ethernet cards; one for wired and one for wireless.

Macintosh OS X

  1. From the Apple menu select System Preferences... The System Preferences window is displayed.
  2. Click Network.
  3. Double-click Airport. The characters that appear after "Airport ID:" represent your wireless MAC address.
  4. On the "Show:" menu, select Network status.
  5. Double-click Built-in Ethernet. Click Ethernet.
  6. The characters that appear after Ethernet ID: represent your wired MAC address.
  7. Close the Network window.

Last Updated: 5/2/08