Disabled Ports and Quarantine

If your port has been disabled, it means that the university has turned off the port in your room. You will only be able to access the UT network, but not the Internet outside of campus.

If your computer has been quarantined when the university blocks your computer from accessing UT networks. If your computer has been quarantined, it has also been disabled. You will not be able to access any Web site other than this one.

If your port has been disabled or your computer has been quarantined – CONTACT THE ITS HELP DESK IMMEDIATELY.

Why was my port disabled or quarantined?

When your port is disabled or quarantined, you will receive a general message when you try to access Resnet stating that your port was disabled. Checking your port status will let you determine if you were also quarantined and for what reason quarantined. In the event of port disable or quarantine you will not be able to access any other Web site except the quarantine Web site.

• Non-Payment – If you have not paid your Resnet bill, you will be disabled. You will still be able to access UT Public Network.
• Compromised or Infected Machine Activity –The Information Security Office (ISO) is constantly monitoring all university networks for activity that is consistent with an infected machine. When a machine becomes infected, it will behave differently and ISO will notice. Once ISO is alerted, they will disable your port and quarantine your computer from accessing Resnet. If you try to access the Wireless Public Network with the quarantined computer, you will be blocked from accessing PNA as well.
• Abuse – If your port is exhibiting behavior consistent with illegal or endangering activity, the ISO will disable your port and quarantine your computer.

Computing habits or behavior that lead to continuous port disable or quarantine may result in your port being permanently disabled. If your port is permanently disabled, you will forfeit your refund.

Understanding the Quarantine Message

When your port is disabled or your machine quarantined, you will be restricted to the Resnet Web site. The first page you see tell you that your port has been disabled. Below the message, you can check your port status. Checking your port status tells you what has happened. The quarantine message provides details about the nature of your quarantine as well as who initiated the quarantine. For help interpreting this message as well as options to re-enable your port, contact the ITS Help Desk.

How do I get my port reactivated?

The reason your port is disabled or your machine is quarantined determines what you need to do to restore your access.

Non-Payment

If you have not paid your Resnet bill, your port will be disabled. You must contact the ITS Help Desk to be re-enabled. When your port is activated again, you must pay your Resnet bill. If you are unable to pay, you will be disabled again. If you are disabled three times in a short period of time, the ITS Help Desk has the right to disable your port permanently. This will not affect your access to the Public Network or access to any non-Resnet network.

Compromised or Infected Machine Activity

If your computer is compromised or infected, you must remove the malicious code in order to have your access restored.

The only sure method to remediate an infected machine is to reformat your hard drive and reinstall your operating system and software. Viruses and other malicious programs can hide deep in the operating system and data files, making eradication nearly impossible. Reformatting and reinstalling is the only way to ensure the problem is removed. You have several choices—no matter which option you choose, please be sure you back up your data or that data backup is part of a provided service. Options for reformatting and reinstalling are:

• Reinstall and reformat your operating system and software yourself. You can choose to do this on your own, or you can come to the ITS Help Desk for support. The Help Desk will provide you with documentation and coaching to help you complete the work. The Help Desk will remove the port disable and quarantine ONE TIME PER YEAR for students who wish to remediate the problem on their own.
  
  

  Neither its, the Help Desk, ISO, DHFS, nor the university is in any way responsible for your data or your computer should you inflict damages by working on your own computer. Pursue this course of action entirely at your own risk.

• Make use of the Help Desk Computer Drop-Off Service, which will reformat and reinstall your computer for a fee. If you choose to have the Help Desk do this for you, your port will be automatically reactivated when you pick up your computer. Otherwise, you should call or notify the Help Desk when you have completed the work.
• Take your computer to a local vendor for reformatting and reinstallation.

Options that do not fully reformat and reinstall your software are less likely to eliminate the problem and are not recommended by ITS. If the problem is not eliminated, then you will be disabled again once the problem is detected on the network. If you are disabled for a second time, the only way to get your port re-enabled is to bring your computer to the Computer Drop-Off Service.

Please note that if you successfully remediate the problem and have your access restored, there is no guarantee that your machine will not be infected in the future. You can learn more about good computer habits and how to avoid problems by reading the Cyber Security Awareness Web site.

Abuse

Abuse notices appear when a student has grossly violated the Acceptable Use Policy or has engaged in computing activity that is against the Honor Code of the university. If your computer is quarantined or your port is disabled due to Abuse notices, you are required to contact the ITS Help Desk. Procedures for remediation for these issues are implemented at the discretion of ITS.