Support and help
Technical Questions
If you have any technical questions, or if you're experiencing problems with your ResNet connection, please check the troubleshooting tips below before contacting one of our staff members.
If you still need to contact technical support, please visit the Contact Us page to learn how to speak to us in person or on phone/email/Live Chat.
Troubleshooting for Network Connections
Having Internet problems? Follow the steps outlined below. If you're a new student, be sure that you've followed the Setup Instructions first.
Wired ResNet Connection Troubleshooting
- Check to make sure your network settings are set to automatic. If you are not sure what your network settings are set to, please see the Equipment and Setup page to see instructions on how to check.
- Try restarting your computer.
- Try another Ethernet cable by signing one out from the front desk.
- If you are trying to connect during the first week of the term, please wait longer for a connection since there are a lot of others trying to connect as well. Traffic is heavy during the first week of the term, so please be patient.
Wireless Eduroam Connection Troubleshooting
- Make sure your wireless is turned on. There are many ways to disable a wireless connection, such as: physical switch, keyboard shortcut, wireless card software, manufacturer's wireless software etc.
- Clear history of previous connections to Waterloo networks and try again.
- If you are running Windows XP or Vista, please run the XPressConnect to automatically configure your computer to connect to Eduroam.
- Make sure you have good signal strength. If you notice a low signal strength area, please email reshelp wtih full details.
Malware / Virus Removal Help
Students often notice issues with their machines when their machine gets infected with malware / viruses / rootkits. These malicious software can not only steal your personal information, but compromise your machine to launch attacks on other computers and networks.
When you notice unusual activity from your machine, or notice fake software that you didn’t install on your computer, it’s a good chance to run some malware scans. If you have a Windows machine and you think it is, follow the steps outlined below to get rid of it and to clean up your computer:
- Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software.
All University of Waterloo students are entitled to a free copy of Symantec AntiVirus. Download and install it. Also, download and install Spybot, and Malwarebytes. Instructions on how to use the two software you've just downloaded is included below:
Keep reading - don't scan your computer just yet!
- Disable System Restore.
Many viruses like to hide in your System Restore folder, which can't be scanned by anti-virus software. Right-click My Computer and click Properties. Then, click the System Restore tab, and make sure the "Turn off System Restore" option is checked. If it isn't, check it and click OK.
- Reboot your computer in Safe Mode.
Booting into Safe Mode lets you clean viruses that are loaded into memory. Reboot your computer, and just before the loading screen appears, keep pressing F8 until a menu shows up. Then, choose Safe Mode.
- Now, scan your computer using the new software.
Using the three new programs you downloaded and installed, run full system scans and clean/delete everything they find. After all three programs are finished scanning, reboot your computer into Normal mode.
If you're still having problems...
If you're still having problems after following the above steps, you need to get some help. Please visit the contact us page for more information.
