Requirements: Windows Vista
Unfortunately we're only able to offer limited support for Windows Vista SP1 (32-bit) on the Student Network.
Whilst the vast majority of people do not have any problems getting Windows Vista to work on the Student Network, there are still a small, but significant, number of students who do. These problems exist because some Vista network drivers do not appear to be compatible with our network. For the most part, this appears to affect older laptops that were branded as "Vista compatible" or "Vista capable" before the original release of Vista.
In addition, some services on the University's network are not currently Vista-compatible. Whilst we make every effort to ensure that our services comply with Internet standards and are as compatible as possible, it is not always possible to ensure Vista compatibility. There are two reasons for this: the first is that many vendors do not yet offer complete Vista support, and the second is that Microsoft appear not to always accurately comply with Internet standards.
With Windows Vista, Microsoft introduced a new security model. As a result of this, many older applications cannot properly run on Vista. It is possible that this includes some of the teaching materials in use at the University. These applications can always be used in a public computer laboratory, where they'll always be supported.
Service Pack 1 (SP1) resolved a number of the issues with Windows Vista, and so is considered a requirement for using Windows Vista at Rhodes. Ideally, you should have installed Service Pack 2 (SP2).
Despite this, there are still a number of things that are known not to work. Currently, the most notable service that is not completely Vista-compatible is the iPrint service that's used for printing in residences. Whilst it works for most people, those using 64-bit versions of Vista will find themselves completely unable to make use of the printers in residences.
For these reasons we are unable to consider Windows Vista fully supported on the Student Network — there are circumstances in which it simply cannot be made work properly at Rhodes. If this is a problem for you, you should consider either downgrading your computer to Windows XP, upgrading it to Windows 7, or not making use of this service.
