Castle Village Network

Connecting to the Castle Village network

using your existing equipment
using a router that you purchased from us
using a single computer plugged directly into the Castle Village Ethernet jack
using a router that you own
using the common area wireless routers

Can I use my existing equipment?

Castle Village network jack

If you have a router with Ethernet ports between your computers and a cable or DSL modem, that router can be connected to the Castle Village network. If your only network device is a carrier-provided cable modem or DSL router, then you will probably need to obtain a router or plug only one computer into the network at a time.

equipment Ethernet port Look at your existing equipment to see if it has an input as well as an output Ethernet port. An Ethernet port looks like a phone port that is wider than usual. A DSL port is the same size as a phone port. A coaxial input is round, and looks like the cable port in a television set.

Any wireless or wired router with both input and output Ethernet ports should work with the Castle Village network. Please email or call us (212-741-4400 x1) with inquiries about specific models. For setup assistance with your existing equipment, see our router setup instructions below.

I bought a router from you. Now what?

If you buy a router from us, we will remotely configure it for you. The router will be delivered to the management office. We will notify you when it arrives. After you pick it up, visit our remote configuration page.

How do I plug in a single device?

If you plan to use only one computer in your apartment, you do not need to purchase a router. You simply need a standard Ethernet cable, which you may already have, or which you can pick up at your local hardware store or electronics store.

Most computers are pre-set to automatically obtain their IP address using DHCP. If you have not adjusted your network settings, you should be able to plug one end of the Ethernet cable into the wall jack and the other end into your computer. Within 30 seconds, your computer should be on the Internet.

If that does not work, bring up your network settings:

Windows: Start menu | Control Panel | Network Settings
Mac: System Preferences | Network

Change the network settings to "Obtain IP address automatically". Remove any hard-coded DNS servers or domain names (they should be obtained automatically as well).

If you use Windows 7, you might find these screenshots useful. If you are still having trouble, call Panix support at (212) 741-4400 x1 or e-mail us and we will assist you.

How do I configure my own router for this network?

Here is how to connect a router to the Castle Village network:

1. Connect the WAN
port on your router to the wall jack. 2. Connect the LAN port(s) on
your router to the Ethernet port on the device(s) you are connecting
to the Internet.

Connect the WAN (or Internet) port on your router to the wall jack.
Connect (one of) the LAN (or Ethernet) port(s) on your router to the Ethernet port on the device(s) you are connecting to the Internet.

If the router doesn't "just work", then you will have to log into it to configure it. Check your router's documentation to see how to log into it. Most routers are accessible using a web browser from a computer that is plugged into one of the LAN ports of that router.

Browse to 192.168.1.1 (or your router's default internal IP address, if different). Log in to the router using the administrator's username and password (try admin/admin or <empty>/admin).

Use DHCP to obtain an IP address automatically. Do not provide any DNS servers or domain names, as those will also be automatically assigned. You must enable NAT (Network Address Translation).

If your router has wireless capability, you should change your wireless network's "SSID" (the network name), otherwise you may not be able to tell your network apart from your neighbors' networks. You must also set a wireless network password so that your neighbors or passers-by on the street cannot use your connectivity.

If you have a wireless router and do not plan to use the wireless features, you must still set a password on the wireless network to avoid outside use of your connection. You may also be able to disable the wireless feature completely - check the "Advanced settings" page for a setting like "Wireless disable" or "Radio off".