Members of the Client Support staff enjoy friendly, back-and-forth banter about which is better … Mac or PC. We have three staff members, in particular, who laud the prowess of all things Apple.
Lindsay is one of those people. She had everyone in the office talking when she returned from her vacation out west with an iPhone. For many of us, this was our first time seeing one LIVE, up close, and in person. I sheepishly asked if I could hold it. She told me not to feel embarrassed. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who made such an odd request. Lindsay pointed her way through different screens like she was Steve Jobs. I watched in awe as she tilted the phone to its right to show me a video being played in horizontal screen mode.
"Where is this all going?" I wondered to myself and will I one day own an iPhone of my very own? Not for another two years, at least. I just renewed my Verizon Wireless contract and upgraded to an LG VX8600. I’m so yesterday’s news.
Anyway, we urged Lindsay to blog about her iPhone discoveries because students will undoubtedly be coming back to campus as proud owners of iPhones this fall. Lindsay agreed to share her test results with me, so here is what we’ve learned.
The iPhone will connect to AirNet, the service that provides campus wireless access to Stony Brook University faculty, staff and students. You can log in through the web for limited network access with no problem. This will let you surf the web a lot faster than AT&T’s Edge Network will allow you to. The downside is that you can’t send or receive email while using AirNet’s limited network access.
You can connect to Stony Brook’s VPN (virtual private network) to gain access to your email through the mail client on the iPhone.
This is how you connect to the VPN:
- Hit Settings on your iPhone’s main menu.
- Scroll down and select General
- Next, click on Network
You will come to a screen that looks like this:
- Click on VPN
- Select Settings underneath
- Choose PPTP
- Enter server address: pptp.airnet.stonybrook.edu
- Account name is your NetID
- Password is your NetID password. You should get an alpha/numeric keypad to type this in.
There appears to be a glitch that occurs when your phone goes to sleep (when this happens you lose your connection to the VPN) or if you leave the VPN and come back to it at another time. When you go in again, you have to turn your VPN on and repeat the above steps. Otherwise, you will only get a numeric keypad to type in your NetID at the password screen when you try to use the VPN shortcut. You will not be able to type in alpha characters.
Lindsay’s way around this was to go into Windows and change her NetID password to all numerics. You don’t have to do this. In fact, we do not encourage it. You can go back into the VPN Settings each time to put in your NetID password without changing it. Our Division of Information Technology Security Officer advises that an all-numeric password is very insecure and should not be used as a password on any Stony Brook University system.
Lindsay said a lot of people with iPhones are encountering this bug. It is currently being discussed on some forums.
We’ll wait for the software update and in the meantime keep asking Lindsay if we can hold her iPhone!
I wonder when this gadget come to my area…after discount of course…. thx for sharing.
very funny how you sayu it was your first time seeing a live one. lol
Nice read i love that phone and i haven’t seen a live on myself.
It’s the ultimate gadget. And yes, girls can’t take their eyes of it
can someone elaborate on setting up the iPhone mail app client to get my stony brook mail? Also will it only work when connected via VPN? Thanks.
From what I know about the iPhone, and depending on which mail server you are trying to connect to, either MS, Sparky or Notes, the process will vary.
Lotus Notes - not possible with the Apple Mail.
MS - ms.cc.sunysb.edu - POP/IMAP
Sparky - sparky.ic.sunysb.edu - POP/IMAP
Setting up should be the same as the regular Apple mail client on a regular Mac.
As far as your question regarding the VPN, yes, you will need to use it if you connect to AirNet on campus.
If you do not wish to use the AirNet client then you can access your e-mail through the browser at:
MS - http://webmail.cc.sunysb.edu
Sparky - https://webmail.ic.sunysb.edu
Lotus Notes - https://notes.cc.sunysb.edu/login.nsf
All other information can be obtained from http://it.cc.stonybrook.edu
–Mike
I do wish it was just a little cheaper, many people can’t afford these things.
cool read, i attend ithaca college and have an ipod touch…was just curious if this method would work here as well? ithaca uses airnet also was the wifi distributor…guess ill give it a try
well, the ipod touch is certainly keeping up with iphone, as it already has voip feature as well,
http://gadgetreviews.info
that’s really a fantastic post ! ! added to my favourite blogs list..
Eveny used iphones are keeping their value, unlike other phones that are worthless after a year.
iphone and its features rocks..
ipod touch as well..
after the slash down in the price, lot of people prefer it..
regards,
http://healthybee.org
can someone help on setting up the iPhone mail app to get my yahoo mail? Also will it only work when connected via VPN? Thanks.
I think 3G iPhone is worth buying…
If you are a technlogic maniac, then you just need to have it in your hands.
Nice post, me love the iPhone!
I love the iPhone, great post!
Nice post
Excellent write up, very interesting read!
i owned the first iphone and i have to say that i’m not that impressed.
Don’t worry, the Iphone despite being cool, is already yesterday’s news and having one now has ceased to be a status symbol.
Now a google phone, that would be something
Maximumkillz
Green Laser Modules
nice article
I’m amazed iPhone is still keeping its momentum after more than a year, doesn’t seem like a fad. Can anyone show me how to use VoIP applications on iPhone?
It’s a fantastic phone with brilliant features and the new iPhone 3GS has improved upon it further. However the competitors are starting to catch up, the HTC Magic looks like a good phone but lacks one or two features of the iPhone.
Its not a phone! Its an entire microprocessor running OSX that also happens to have a phone on it. Wait until the iTablet comes out.