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Overview
Assisting Remote Connection
Connection Options

Overview

Conferences, research activities, vacations, telecommuting, or just being at home take you off campus. Several options are available to help you connect to MITnet and the Internet when you are traveling or working away from MIT. Below are brief descriptions of various remote-connection options. Which option is best for you, in terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness, will depend on your remote location.

Assisting Remote Connection

Virtual Private Network (VPN)
MIT has deployed a Virtual Private Network to assist MIT clients with connectivity from off campus. If you are going to connect to MITnet from off campus via an ISP or Wi-Fi service, IS&T recommends that you install and configure VPN.

The VPN provides a solution to work through the various port blocks and other methods which Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have implemented to protect their clients and prevent spam, virus outbreaks, and other network abuse. These preventative measures often interrupt or prevent legitimate work from happening. The MIT VPN, which gives you an IP address on MITnet, can help resolve a number of problems associated with email, Windows file sharing, and other network-based applications without needing to determine the particular preventative measures your ISP has implemented. The VPN uses Kerberos authentication, so no separate VPN password is needed.

Connection Options

Disclaimer: IS&T offers this information as a service to the MIT community, and does not endorse any of the providers or options listed below.

ISP
Commercial ISPs (Internet Service Providers) provide high-speed access for connecting from home or other locations from which you connect regularly. For basic information about ISPs in the greater Boston/Cambridge area, see High-Speed Remote Access to MITnet.

Wi-Fi
Wireless service, or Wi-Fi, is becoming more widely available around the world. In airports, convention centers, hotels, libraries, coffee shops, and other establishments, Wi-Fi hotspots may be open to customers, guests, or the general public. Also, hotels may offer wired Ethernet connections from guest rooms (although a charge may be incurred).

Several Wi-Fi options are available:

• Broadband wireless cards with limited or unlimited data plans from our cell phone providers:
  • Learn more about our cellular providers, and their data connection plans, both domestic and international.

• Free wireless in public areas, such as airports and hotels. Check http://www.wififreespot.com to find free Wi-Fi around the world.
• Low-cost unlimited Wi-Fi:
  • Boingo includes 25,000 hotspots worldwide and uses the top Wi-Fi networks world wide (T-Mobile included). Since there is no commitment you can cancel at any time.
    Boingo Mobile: unlimited worldwide use on your smartphone
    Boingo Unlimited: unlimited use throughout the Americas
    Boingo Wi-Fi Combo: unlimited use throughout the Americas, and worldwide on your smartphone
    Boingo Global: 2000 minutes of use on your laptop worldwide, with no roaming fees

Dialup
Tether is MIT's free remote-access dialup service, providing Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connectivity to MITnet and the Internet. It supports PPP over analog lines at maximum speeds that can range from 28.8 to 56 kbps, depending on modem model and other conditions (ISDN access is not supported). A Tether connection gives you an IP address directly on MITnet. The Tether phone number is in the 617 area, so Tether calls from other area codes may incur a charge to the calling number, or a calling card can be used. Or, use the toll free number to access Tether: 1-877-CALL MIT (877-225-5648). 

For more information and instructions, see Tether Dial-up Internet Access Service at MIT.

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