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💻 Laptops
The purpose of this guide is to help students and families determine their computing needs for their time at NCSSM. In ITS, we’re often asked, “What laptop should I buy for NCSSM?”. Our first response is to inform families to take inventory of any laptops that they already own as our minimum specifications could be met by machines that are three years old or younger (as long as the laptop is in a good operating condition). With that in mind, please take a look at the following and determine the best course for you and your student.
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Keeping one's laptop Operating System (OS) and installed software up-to-date is required to make sure your laptop, and the NCSSM network, remains secure. NCSSM requires that you regularly update your laptop, installing all patches as they become available, and, on Windows 10, ensure that you leave Microsoft Defender's automatic scanning enabled.
Anti-Virus (AV) software is recommended at NCSSM. Failure to have a current, updated AV program can result in being blocked from the NCSSM network. Many manufacturers offer trial versions of AV software lasting 60 to 90 days; these must be updated at the end of the trial period or the user’s account will be disabled. For Windows users we recommend Malwarebytes (the free version) in conjunction with the free and included Microsoft Defender. These programs are free, unobtrusive, use few system resources, have automatic updates, and do a good job protecting against viruses and other malware. Windows 8 and 10 have Windows Defender or Microsoft Defender already installed; only Malwarebytes need be added. macOS and Linux users should use Sophos (Mac), ClamAV (Linux), or similar anti-virus package. These applications are also free, unobtrusive, and lightweight.
Please keep in mind that AV software is only one line of defense and is not a substitute for safe, smart computing by a student. Malware infected machines have a profound negative effect of a student’s productivity and places others in the NCSSM network at risk. As such, if ITS discovers that a machine has been significantly compromised, ITS will notify the student of the problem and may have to suspend their network access until the issue has been resolved.
Protective sleeve for carrying laptop: this could be separate from a backpack or be a pocket with extra padding built-in to a backpack.
Broken displays and henges resulting from carrying laptops in backpacks alongside textbooks and other items is another leading cause of damage to our students’ laptops.
Mac users: consider purchasing an Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport adapter or Belkin Mini-DisplayPort to HDMI adapter to allow connections to NCSSM displays and projectors for presentations.
Software: Students will not be required to purchase any software that is mandatory for their class work. It will be made available to them to download and install.
Recommended Computer Repair site: For hardware-related issues on computers that are out of warranty, ITS is not allowed to do repairs. Instead, ITS recommends Computer Cellar at 720 9th Street (just down the street from NCSSM, below The Regulator). They also sell batteries and AC adapters for popular laptop models.
🌎 Campus Network and Other Devices
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wireless printers (personal printers can be used, but wireless connectivity must be disabled)
wireless routers of any kind
hotspots that utilize cellular data to create Wi-Fi networks
🏡 Home Network Recommendations (Online)
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