General Information

Eligible honours students will be notified by email regarding PC and Lab allocation. (List of eligible honours students can be requested from Sze Eng Koon, list 1, list 2, list 3.)

Online register at https://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~labhon/secondpage/restricted/register.htm

Two students will be sharing one PC. Students are advised to get a partner before hand; Or else partner will be randomly assigned.

PC usage time is based on mutual agreement between the two users.

For students who cannot afford to share PC, he/she must get the supervisor to email us: comzm , comsinmw, rapiah or labhon to request for a single PC. Permission is granted subjected to PC availability.

Any door access problems to Honours Labs, please approach or email to : smartcardop@comp.nus.edu.sg , Workshop , s15 ground floor.

Application for Lockers to put your personal belongings and stuff : Look for Miss Ng lee chin (Judy) at S16 level 5 room 8 email: nglc@comp.nus.edu.sg

Network printer : PST321 , is for Honours Students only. There might be a delay for updating of new users to the print server (in machine room) to take effect..

(Any students not able to print to PST321 should email to helpdesk@comp.nus.edu.sg, stating your Unix User ID. )

Honours labs are catered only for honors year students. For masters/phd student you will be issued with new matric card HTXXXXXX.
Please use this card to gain access to post grad labs and apply pc there thru Loo Line Fong at S15 level 5 admin office.

Top

Honours Labs Regulation and Information

The student's Nusnet User Id. ( iscxxxxx ) will be the administrator for the PC assigned. <Login to NUSSTU Domain>

Students are strongly advised to protect their data and make backup copies at their own device, example thumbdrive. Hard disk may crash or Operating system software gets corrupted when you least expected.

Most students will complete their project in MAY or NOV. All PCs will be “ghosted” during these two periods. All personal data will be lost from the harddisks. Reminder email will be sent out in advance.

Be aware of who is sharing the PC with you so as not to accidentally delete his/her data.

All PCs are loaded with WinXP operating system. Students who want to load Linux have to do it themselves.

Corrupted WinXP will be re-ghosted from ghost image or upon request. Only the C: partition is re-ghosted. No software troubleshooting will be done.

Software Copyrights issue

Your PC comes with standard softwares (Licensed or Free ) for the SOC Department.

All students are required to sign the Software Agreement Form. (SOC1: #08-16, #08-10, #06-17) before you are assigned as administrator of that pc.

Additional software that is required to be installed for your project, has to apply thru eform. Admin reference

Take note that certain softwares like SPSS, dreamweaver, flash, photoshop etc are not to be installed in Honours lab, as they are already installed in specific teaching labs. Please access respective lab for your project.

Softwares that are only for staff use, are also not allowed to install in Honours lab
Individual software license which is expensive like Borland C++ \ J Builder which cost about $4000 per license, is over budget, and Not likely to be approved and installed.
Some common "freeware" programming software which you can install in your allocated computer (also installed in General access labs) to replace Borland C++ \ J Builder \ etc are:

Procedure for applying licensed software (example - Matlab, SPSS) :
1. Student apply thru eform.
2. Supervisor approves thru eform.
3. Pctech (workshop) approves the eform (provided license is available).
4. SOC1 labtech will install the software upon signing of Software Agreement Form from student and Supervisor.
* Original copy of Software Agreement Form will be kept by SOC1 Lab officer.

* Duplicate copy of Software Agreement Form will hand over to workshop for filing.

SOC helpdesk loaned CD

If you have loan CD (label MAA-XXXX) from SOC helpdesk after signing the agreement form ( The agreement form is between you and Microsoft ),
photostat one copy of the agreement form and hand over to us.

Students who want to install extra softwares not available thru Windows shopping, will have to loan it from Computer Centre (subjected to availability). We do not provide CDs.

General issue

Do not remove staffs : nusstf\comzm, nusstf\comsinmw and nusstf\comry from the local Administrators Group.

Do Not add students who are not supposed to be administrator of your computer, to the administrator account without our approval. Any consequences will be bear by the allocated student administrator.

Do not change the default local Administrator User and Password.

Do not change the COMPUTER NAME of the PC.

Do not uninstall Trend's OfficeScan AntiVirus Software.

To install a fresh copy of Trend Anti Virus software (e.g. to remove old virus logs), you can uninstall the previous copy of it, restart your pc, login with your Nusnet id a/c (not self-created local administrator a/c). Windows will auto detect the un-installation and install a fresh copy.

Please make sure the Trend's Virus Pattern is up to date.

Please make sure XP Windows Patches ( Windows Update) is up to date.

Computer is power on before 7am to retrieve windows patches from server, on your part you still need to make sure windows is patched.

Please make sure OFFICE 2003 patches (Office Update) is up to date.

comzm, comsinmw and comry are the local system administrators (Local PCs) . Any network problems will be forwarded to the Network Administrators instead.

PST321 out of paper or toner : Students are to collect fresh supply from SOC1, #08-16 or #08-10.

For PST619 : Please get supplies from #06-17.

Student printing to other printers, for example pst809 and pst815, are encouraged to use pst809-dx, pst815-dx, as this two printers with -dx (duplex) extension, give you quota discount of about 20 - 25%. (Example, a print job of 20 pages will give you a discount of 4 pages, meaning that the system will only deduct 16 pages from your quota balance instead of 20 pages).

You have to select Duplex, either long or short edge, and checked "Use Printer Nup" under Multipage printing in printer's properties.

To add these two printers in your pc printer folders (if there is none in the folder), select add printers, choose local port and map to \\nts27\pst809-dx or \\nts27\pst815-dx , choose Lexmark T622 PS3 for the printer driver.

Wireless Network is supported in Honours Labs.

Honours Labs doors are to remain closed to prevent any unauthorized entry. (To minimize the loss of personal items)

Do not open windows.

No electrical power bar is provided.

No large personal items are allowed in the Honours Labs. (eg. Bicycle, pillows and mattress, Television etc.)

No outsiders (non-SOC students) are allowed to enter any honours labs. Only registered SoC Honours lab students can use the labs. Security web camera are installed to monitor lab activity.

Please email us in advance if you need to move your PC out of the Lab for project presentation purposes.

No Vandalism.

Power off the pc when not in use, to save energy.

Air con break down please call 6-874-2354 or call 6-874-1515 ( 24 hrs ) to inform Office and Estate Department (OED).

No Littering. Please keep the Labs tidy. Students are responsible of the cleanliness of their allocated computer and the surrounding environment

Last person leaving the lab, please switch off the lights.

Top

Security Vulnerability and Network issue

All PCs will be periodically scanned by NOC for any security vulnerability.

https://noc.comp.nus.edu.sg/docs/rules/securityscan

List of Security Scanning Servers IP Address 137.132.80.8
137.132.80.11
137.132.90.22
137.132.90.29
137.132.90.41
192.168.1.13 ( Daiquiri.comp.nus.edu.sg )

Students will be responsible for any network security vulnerabilities found on the PCs.

Students' UNIX ID are recorded in https://noc.comp.nus.edu.sg. Login using your UNIX ID to check the security status of your PC.

Users whose PCs are marked by NOC, will receive an email warning them to patched up or solve their vulnerabilities.

After remedial action has been done, please request for a re-scan. Leave the PC turned ON overnight for the scanners to scan again.

Students are to refer to NOC's email regarding how to request for re-scan after the PC is patched up.

If nothing is done within 3 days, NOC will cut off the PC's network.

Windows RPC Vulnerabilities

https://noc.comp.nus.edu.sg/docs/winrpc.html

Network access problems, please check this essential guide to troubleshooting network problems.

https://noc.comp.nus.edu.sg/troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions are answered in this document.

https://noc.comp.nus.edu.sg/faq

Quarantine Network (QN) are for users to download patches and virus scanners for their vulnerable or virus infected computers.
QN is an isolated network that restricts network access to only a few permitted resources, which currently includes:
1. Microsoft Windowsupdate
2. Trend Micro
3. NUS Mirror
4. NOC
A computer that has unfixed critical vulnerability or suspected to be infected by virus (massive portscanning) will be placed into QN instead of being cut off from the network totally.
User may be able to fix some common problems before requesting for reghosting, like doing windowsupdate and getting virus updates, without having to download patches/ updates from another computer.
The user may also login to view the security report, however, the links to some solutions may not be accessible due to the restriction in QN.
Once the user has fixed the problem, he/she will submit a request for system re-enable in NOC. The computer will then be scanned and only be placed back to normal network if it has passed the security check scanning.
Note: The user's computer must be left online for NOC nessus scanner to scan. If not, it will still remain the QN even after we approved the re-enable request.
QN Website: https://noc.comp.nus.edu.sg/docs/quarantine-network.html

Enabling back a Network disabled PC.
Please enable the network yourself following the link below :-
Login into another PC (e.g. public access lab) and go to the URL - https://noc.comp.nus.edu.sg/user/systemenable.html
- Key in your Unix username and Password.
- Click "next" to browse through the article on Network security.
- Type in the Computer name = eg. soctf-hon1-001
- Type Reason : The PC is already Patched.

Network policy does not allow pinging / ftp etc. from outside SOC (e.g. hostel). Please refer to below website for reference.

https://noc.comp.nus.edu.sg/docs/eng/subnetworks.html
https://noc.comp.nus.edu.sg/docs/eng/firewall.html

Stealing IP address

Honours lab students are not allowed to plug their notebook to the honours lab computer network port. Once detected, the network port is administratively disabled due to unregistered 'computer' connected to the port (illegal MAC address). Usually the symptom of administrative disabled network port does not show any light status behind the computer. If you wish to request to enable the port back, you have to look for the network administrator Mr Lai Zit Seng and explain to him the situation.
Stealing ip address is illegal and account may be disabled for two weeks or more. To cater for notebook, wireless network is setup in Honours lab.
Please refer this website - https://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/cf/rules/rule-cf.html
All IP address assignments in the School are under the control of the Network Administrator. All users are prohibited from making changes or implementing any addresses (including network IP and MAC addresses) without the prior knowledge and approval of the Network Administrator.
All users are also to note that activities like port-scanning, probing, jamming or causing denial of services, sniffing or wire-tapping the network, eliciting security-sensitive information from computers via network connections, and illegal tampering with SMTP/NNTP and other reserved network ports, objects or services are SERIOUS offences which warrant offenders to be sent to the Disciplinary Committee right away.
All users are prohibited from making unauthorized changes to network topology, including bridging and routing of networks, installation of remote access devices, and operating wireless networks. Users are also prohibited from installing or configuring wireless access points without the approval of the Network Administrator.

BE AWARE of program running unattended

Recently a Honours student was questioned by nwop, of a program ( Net Transport ) running unattended for a couple of days.
This action leads to massive persistent download of files that raised alarm to the external server administrator. It was reported to NUS Computer center by external entity that one of the computer in NUS was launching a DOS attack on an external website. The reason could be due to target server is down and Net Transport is re-trying continuously to download the files and hence lead to the DOS attack conclusion. Please check frequently on your computer activity if you need to perform these type of programs.

Opening of Ports \ Changing of system configuration (msconfig)

Do Not open multiple ports at any time, or change system configuration thru msconfig, as this will render your computer to be disabled immediately by NOC

Laptop can connect to the network through only Wireless PnP. If your laptop especially older types which don't have built-in or pcmcia wireless card, you can loan the wireless card from SOC Technical Helpdesk at Block S15.
if your laptop has built-in pcmcia wireless card inside, you need to register the MAC address with NUS Computer Centre to be able to access wireless network.
Information can be found at http://www.nus.edu.sg/winzone

Wireless reception in Honours lab 4
In order to associate to our SOC wireless base station, Honours lab 4 student please configure your wireless adapter setting:

Go to Specified Access Point feature for Cisco wireless adapter from the ACU (Aironet Client Utility) software.

Enter the MAC address (00:0c:ce:a4:84:b4) of one of the nearest SOC wireless base station.

For user of Intel Proset, you can use the Mandatory AP feature to enter the MAC address of the SOC wireless base station (nearest SOC wireless base station).

There is no SPnP network in the wall network ports in Honours Labs. All wall network ports in Honours lab are disabled and meant only for administrative purposes. Do not attempt to use them.

Desktop computers are connected to SOC's network (VLan815) dedicated Honours lab segment, which is not PnP.
If you connect your laptop to anyone of the PCs network port behind, you will receive warning from the SOC's Network Management Team.

X-Win - NOC block Xwin connection from 172 segment, students in honours labs can run some of the X features from the ssh client.
Xwin cannot be use "directly". X-Win Guide

Reinstall Trend Remote agent ( Remote agent is no longer in use for newly "ghosted" PCs ).

If you have accidentally remove Trend Remote agent from your pc,

1) go to \\nts27\pc\Trend\RemoteAgent, look for Remote-AgentSetup.exe to setup again.

2) go to http://www.trendmicro.com/ftp/products/npf/sp/en/osce/ra-patch1s-en.exe to apply this exe to remote agent for new numbering pattern format.

Top

Computer Information

Procedure to allow "everyone" user group to access your "shared folders" -

( By default, Honours student, as the the administrator are only able to access shared folder of your own PC )
(1) Go to : Start > Run > type mmc
(2) Under mmc window, go to : File > Add/Remove Snap-in > Add > select "Group policy" > Add > Finish > Close > Ok .
(3) Under Console root expand :
Local computer policy > Computer configuration > Windows settings > Security settings > Local policies

> User rights assignment > double click on "Access this computer from network" > Add user or group > type in Everyone > Ok > Ok .
(4) Close and save the mmc (Console 1) window.

Procedure to allow ONLY administrator (including assigned honours student to that computer) to login to your workstation
(To prevent unauthorized use by non-administrator student)

Step 1 :
Go to start > run > type "mmc"
Go to file > file add/remove snap in > Add > Group Policy > finish > close > Ok
Expand the trees as shown below : Local computer policy > computer configuration > windows settings > security settings > local policies > double click user rights assignment > select " log on locally " on the right pane of the window.

Step 2:

Remove all users or group (EXCEPT Administrators) by clicking the Remove button. Click Apply and OK.

Procedure to lock your workstation -
Step 1 :
Go to start > run > type "mmc"
Go to file > file add/remove snap in > Add > Group Policy > finish > close > Ok
Expand = Local computer policy > user configuration > administrative templates > systems > ctrl-alt-del options > remove lock computer
> select " not configured" Exit and save.
Step 2:
Go to : start > Run > type regedit.
Right click on Hkey_Users , and select FIND , type " lockworkstation "
Once you found it, double click on " DisableLockWorkstation " and change the "Value Data" from "1" to "0"

Internet Information Server (IIS) issue

Setting up a temporary webserver for HYP in Honours lab computer has a concurrency problem whereby number of users connected to the IIS to view the pages is very limited (e.g. maximum 5 users attempting to access it at one time).

SQL server

If you are using SQL server for your project, please ensure that it is password protected.

Roaming profile loading error
This is a common problem with Computer center's profile management.
You have to email to ccehelp@nus.edu.sg, or call them at 6874 2080. Tell them to delete your profile = isc***** on their server as it is corrupted.

At the same time, ask your partner who can login to the PC, to remove your profile locally from within the local hard disk.
Right Click on My computer, go to Properties > Advance > Users profile > click on "Settings" > select isc***** > Delete.
Once Computer Center has deleted your profile at their side, together with your local profile in the local PC, deleted, only then you can login
again. If any of the above not deleted yet, the profile problem will still exist.

To remove the language input (e.g. Chinese Simplified Microsoft Pinyin IME )
Go to Control Panel > Regional and Language options > Languages > Details > Installed Services > REMOVE Chinese Simplified Microsoft Pinyin IME.

PC Maintenance

Always do disk cleanup and defragmentation for your pc to clean up unwanted, unused files and achieve access to your files and folders and save new ones more efficiently.

To open Disk Defragmenter or Disk Cleanup, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter or Disk Cleanup.

Mouse problem - Students are advised to make a habit of cleaning individual mouse rollers. This is the common mouse problems faced by users.

Pdf creator and Blender - Replacement for Acrobat Professional ( For postscript file distillation and pdf files merging)

Usage Guide

Freedist - Another replacement for Acrobat Professional ( For postscript file distillation and pdf files merging)

FreeDist website - FreeDistD Ghostscript Printer Drivers

Usage Guide

Optional installation for your protection

Spyware Guard - http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareguard.html

Spybot Search and Destroy - http://www.spybot.info/en/index.html

Spyware Blaster - http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/downloads.html

Ad-Aware - http://www.lavasoft.com/

Top

Other Information

Project Administration System - https://mysoc.nus.edu.sg/~projadm/

Student Project Information - http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/students/honpj.htm

Plagiarism - http://emodule.nus.edu.sg (need macromedia flash player version 7 and above) to view

Notices pasted in Honours Labs.

Top