Student Network Access is a wired service that lets students register their own computer, game console, smart TV and other devices, so they can connect to the Internet through the campus wired network. The firewalls are configured to allow online gaming from student halls, so if you encounter any problems with online gaming in halls please contact the Service Desk so we can investigate.

NOTE: The service only supports wired connections at the moment. We are looking at extending the service to include wireless devices such as Amazon Echo, Google Home, Sonos Speakers, Now TV boxes and Amazon Fire TV Sticks.

In halls, plug in a laptop or other computer with a web browser to the network point in your room. After a few seconds your computer should be assigned a network address. If your browser does not open automatically then you should open it and attempt to browse to a new web page. You will be redirected to the captive portal page. If you don't get connected immediately try waiting 10 seconds then try unplugging and replugging your device into the wall point.

In the captive portal confirm you have read and accept the Universities policy for using IT facilities, then login with your University credentials to register your computer.

You are instructed to reboot your computer to complete the registration though you can just unplug the network cable from the device, then reconnect after 10 seconds. You should now be connected to the network. In future you should not need to go through the captive portal again unless there is a security violation associated with your computer.

Use any University connected computer (including via wireless) and visit https://sna.ncl.ac.uk/ where you will need to login as above. You can then enter the MAC address of your device. Once registered the device can be plugged into the network point and should start working straight away.

You can see a list of devices you have registered at https://sna.ncl.ac.uk/ where you can also choose to delete any of your registrations.

A MAC Address is a 12 digit string usually split into 6 groups of two. It is made up from numbers and letters, e.g. 00:d9:d1:0b:76:ef

You will usually find the MAC address printed on a label next to the serial number for your device. See the Device MAC Addresses page to find out how to discover the MAC address on the most common game consoles. For other devices such as Smart TVs or home routers you should refer to the user manual.

You can connect multiple devices to the network point by using a home router or a switch. Both cases are handled differently,

Home Router

This is the simplest method. Register your home router at https://sna.ncl.ac.uk/ then make sure the Internet port is connected to the wall point. You can then just plug any devices you have into the home router. NOTE: The owner of a home router will be held responsible for all activity from the router.

Network Switch

A network switch is different from a home router in that you need to register every device you plug into the switch. The network security will try to authorize the first device it sees, so if you have problems using a switch try registering each device in turn before plugging in the switch.

If you have any problems getting a device to work through a home router or a switch, try plugging the device directly into the wall point and make sure it is registered. Users can register upto 8 devices and connect them in their student room.

If you are having problems connecting a device via a switch or home router, try connecting it directly into the wall socket.

Sometimes a message that you have plugged or unplugged a device may have not reached the servers so you can try unplugging your device, wait 10 seconds then plug it back in.

The service performs some simple security checks when you connect to the network such as is your anti-virus software up to date or if there have been repeated attempts to connect that look suspicious. If a violation is detected you will be informed of the violation when you try to connect and told how to resolve it.

We have configured network points in the OLUA laptop clinic for testing if you require hands on help. We can also login to our network equipment and clear any security violations that may have been triggered.

Any problems with the service should be reported to the Service Desk on extension 85999 or 0191 208 5999.

Specific problems should be reported to the IT Service Desk on extension 85999 or 0191 208 5999.