SETI UK NETWORK

Joining in with the SETI Project

What do I need?

First you need a PC (running Windows, MAC or Unix) or a laptop with at least 32MB of RAM and 10MB of hard disk space available.
Secondly you need dialup access to the Internet.
If you are reading this on the Internet, you already have both of these requirements.
The third requirement is the SETI@home software which you can download from the SETI@home website at Berkeley University.
The current version is SETI@home version 3.07.

Will it slow things down on my computer?

When running all the time, SETI@home uses only the spare processor capacity. It does not take any power away from any other programs that are running. It does not run whenever the other programs demand 100% of the available power.
It can also be set to activate only when the screensaver is activated.

My Internet connection costs me over 1p per minute. Won't this be expensive for me?

You only need to be connected to the Internet to upload a completed set of data and to download the next.
This takes about 5 minutes on a 28K modem. Data processing takes up to a day per work unit and much longer if it is run just as a screensaver.

How can I speed the process up?

The people at setiweb.org have produced a page of useful tips for speeding up the processing of SETI@home work units on a PC running Windows™. Rather than pinch their tips and reproduce them here, we would prefer you click on the link above and read them for yourselves.
Please read them carefully before making any changes as some tips are only appropriate to very experienced users.
SETI UK Network accept no responsibility for any problems with your PC if you attempt these suggestions.