Frequently Asked Questions

Fermilab DHCP Registration

Why is the laboratory requiring DHCP registration?

The lab is requiring registration of network users to quickly isolate viruses and other security concerns.

How do I register my machine?

Registration web page is only accessible from On-site or via the VPN.

You can permanently register your machine in Miscomp.

If your machine uses more than one network connection you must register all hardware addresses.

How do I check if my machine is registered in Miscomp?

You see if your machine is registered at this link.

What if I am only visiting the lab for one day?

An unregistered machine will be sent to a registration web page where the visitor will be asked for some identification information and will then be granted network access until midnight of the current day.

What if I am a frequent visitor to the lab?

If you have a Fermilab ID number you should register your machine in Miscomp. If you do not have a Fermilab ID you will need to fill out the registration page each day that you visit the lab. Your visitor access will expire at midnight each day.

Do I need to register my wireless card if my notebook is already registered?

Yes, every hardware address on a device must be registered.

My machine is already registered in Miscomp. I replaced my network card and I can only get to the registration page. Do I just register again as a visitor?

Yes, register as a visitor for immediate access. Then go to Miscomp and change the hardware address of your system in the database. At midnight your visitor access will expire and your permanent access will be granted from Miscomp. You will need to reboot your machine or release and renew your DHCP address.

My operating system does not have a web browser. How do I register?

You will need to go to a different machine that has a web browser and register your hardware address in Miscomp. You will need to wait until after midnight for the registration to take effect.

How do I find out my hardware address so I can register in Miscomp?

When you register as a visitor, your mac address will be displayed to you when you successfully register. You should record this to add to the Miscomp registration form. There is also an option to have this information emailed to you. Other methods for obtaining your hardware address can be found at this link.

My machine is not registered and I get a DHCP address, but my web browser just gets an error when I try to go to any web page. Why doesn't it go to the registration page automatically?

Check your DHCP configuration. You must be configured to use DHCP fully. You can not have your DNS servers hardcoded. Configure your DHCP client to learn the DNS servers from the DHCP server. This is the default configuration for most clients. You must also have your browser configured not to use a proxy server.

I have a large number of systems coming in. Do I need to fill out the miscomp registration form for every single node?

Nodes can be registered in bulk. Please contact netmanager@fnal.gov for more information.

I am using an Apple computer and I successfully registered, but it keeps going back to the registration page. What do I need to do?

Some flavors of macOS have a problem with caching information. You will need to close your browser, completely shutdown your machine and bring it back up to clear the cache.

I couldn't find the answer to my question!

Please contact the Computing Division helpdesk at (630) 840-2345 or helpdesk@fnal.gov.