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VisitorNet provides Internet access in University of Bristol study bedrooms over the summer vacation. VisitorNet is available for anyone staying in university residential accommodation for a short period - eg conference guests, holidaymakers, students from other universities or any member of the public. There is no requirement to show a student card or other ID.
You need a computer with an Ethernet socket (network socket). Almost all laptop computers have one of these built-in, but handheld devices don’t. Windows and Mac computers will both work.
We provide an Ethernet cable. This is available in your room or from hall reception. Connect the Ethernet cable to the data socket on your wall, and then open a web browser.
Your computer must be set to ‘obtain IP address automatically’. Most are already set up this way. We provide a short connection guide in case you have problems.
VisitorNet in residential accommodation is wireless during most of the summer vacation, however, to use it you must first activate your connection using the cable supplied. Instructions on how to use the wireless will be sent to you in an email. At all other times of year wireless VisitorNet in residential accommodation is not available.
VisitorNet is available for an additional charge, it is not included in your rent. There are several options:
| Length of stay | Cost |
|---|---|
| Up to 3 days | £5 |
| Up to 7 days (one week) | £8 |
| Up to 14 days (two weeks) | £16 |
| Up to 21 days (three weeks) | £24 |
| 22 days or more, up to end of the summer vacation | £32 |
You pay online with a credit or debit card the first time you connect. There’s no option to pay in cash.
VisitorNet in study bedrooms is available from 1st June until 22nd September. For access during other times of the year please email the IT Service Desk.
From VisitorNet you can access web sites as you would normally – Google, Facebook, etc.
Online video - e.g. Youtube and BBC iPlayer should work OK, although if given an option of different quality video streams you will need to choose the lower quality (SD) stream rather than the higher quality (HD) stream.
If your employer or home university provides a VPN for remote access you should also be able to access that, subject to any restrictions at their end.
Why? There is a limit on the number of simultaneous connections a VisitorNet user can make. If you have p2p running in the background on your computer it can reach this limit before you try anything else like email or web browsing on top. You'll then find that the p2p works, but your web browsing is unreliable with pages slow or failing to load.
Massive multiplayer online games (eg World of Warcraft) probably won't work on VisitorNet. Some of the ports they need to operate get blocked by our firewall, and we are unable to adjust the firewall for VisitorNet users.
In contrast web-based games (eg Farmville) should work fine.
The maximum speed you can get from VisitorNet is currently 8Mbit/sec.
If you are a student or member of staff at the University of Bristol you should connect to ResNet in your study bedroom. ResNet provides access to the Internet plus internal Bristol-only resources such as library journals. ResNet is not available to summer visitors.
Mobile Broadband is another alternative and is available to anyone. Mobile Broadband is available from mobile phone providers including Three, T-Mobile, Orange, Vodafone, & O2. The speed will vary depending on the mobile signal strength in your room. See the OFCOM guide to choosing mobile broadband.
Please see the terms of use, regulations and privacy policy for VisitorNet.
Please contact us if you have more questions about Internet access in halls for visitors.