Selfnet e.V.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Table of Contents

Questions about the association

Registration

Why does my data not work in the registration?

Selfnet takes care of a lot of dormitories belonging to the Studierendenwerk Stuttgart and the dormitories of the VSSW.

A list can be found on our overview page for the dormitory network.

Other dormitories are served by commercial providers. Your data will only work, if Selfnet takes care of your dormitory and you supply the exact same data as with the Studierendenwerk or VSSW.

You can always become a member of Selfnet in one of our office hours.

At what point in time should I do the registration?

To become a member of Selfnet, you can use our online registration. The services of Selfnet will be available automatically no longer than 30 minutes after completion of the online registration or when your rental contract starts.

The registration can be completed a few days before you want to start using services of Selfnet. If you register beforehand, take care to select the correct starting date for your membership. The membership fees will be charged from the selected beginning of your membership. Other factors (e.g. the start of your rental contract) are irrelevant here.

The registration can be found on our website at https://www.selfnet.de/signup.html.

Moving

Moving to another room or dormitory

If you move to a new dormitory that is also connected by Selfnet, you can send your new signed rental agreement via e-mail to support@selfnet.de. If you were main tenant before, you probably received an email saying that the SWS or VSSW has already informed us about your new rental agreement - in this case the internet will automatically start working when you move into your new room.

Unfortunately you will not be able to participate in our network if you move to a dormitory where the network is not operated by Selfnet. If you want to cancel your membership refer to: How do I cancel my membership?

What do I have to do when I move out?

  • Your membership does NOT end automatically.
  • If you do not move to another Selfnet dormitory or if you do not like to be a Selfnet member anymore you need to cancel your Membership.
  • See also How do I cancel my membership?

Membership status

How do I sign up for the membership?

You can find all relevant information under become a member. Note: If you are younger than 18 years old your parents need to send us an agreement.

What is the trial membership?

The trial membership does not exist anymore. Any information (e.g. on info sheets) about the former trial membership is outdated.

How do I cancel my membership?

If you want to cancel your membership, you could use MySelfnet to enter your membership cancellation directly into our system

If you do not have access to MySelfnet or the e-mail address registered with Selfnet, print the membership cancellation form, fill it out, sign it by hand(!) and send it via postal mail to “Selfnet e.V., Allmandring 8a, 70569 Stuttgart”.

You have to cancel your membership a minimum of two weeks before the end of the month. Backdated cancellations cannot be accepted. Note: The cancellation has been recorded when you received a confirmation e-mail from us. If you do not receive this confirmation e-mail within a maximum of one week, then we probably did not receive you cancellation form. In this case you should contact our support (support@selfnet.de)

The legal details can be read in the Statutes of Selfnet e.V. (association) under §7.

What do I have to do when I get my rental agreement extended?

New rental agreements from Studierendenwerk / VSSW are usually added automatically in case we already received your tenant number when you moved in. You will be notified via e-mail of this process. If your rental agreement is a sub-rental contract or if this is your first rental agreement of the Studierendenwerk / VSSW you do have the following options:

  • Scan the contract or take pictures of all pages and send it in via e-mail
  • Grab your rental agreement and visit our support during office hours
  • Make a copy of your contract and drop it into our mailbox (DON’T deposit the original contract, as we will destroy it after processing!)

What is the resting membership (ruhende Mitgliedschaft) and how do I apply for it?

  • The resting membership can be applied for up to 6 calendar months which have not yet started.
  • The resting membership can be used multiple times.
  • While the membership is resting the membership fees do not incur and the membership services cannot be used.
  • The resting membership can always be extended in the last month (in due time) of the resting membership (via email, personally in one of our office hours and via postal mail).

How to apply:

  1. use MySelfnet to enter your application for the resting membership directly into our system
  2. visit one of our office hours (do not forget your passport!)
  3. Write an email FROM the email address you gave us and write something like: “I want to apply for the resting membership for the following months: MONTHS / YEAR, MONTH / YEAR, …” (Of course you should replace MONTH and YEAR with months in the future!)
  4. print the application form for the resting membership, fill it out, sign it by hand(!) and send it via postal mail to “Selfnet e.V., Allmandring 8a, 70569 Stuttgart”.

Membership fee and booking

Why did you withdraw 19€/28,50€/38€/47,50€ from my bank account?

  • We always withdraw the membership fees for the following quarter of the year together (all three months at the start of January/April/July/Oktober).
  • Because the fee is 9.50€ per calendar month we usually withdraw 28,50€ at once for the quarter year.
  • If you signed up shortly the first withdrawal may be different. It can be anything between 19€ (for two months until the end of the quarter) and 47,50€ (for two remaining months of the previous quarter and the entire following quarter).
  • If you cancel your membership before the end of a three month period, you will be paid back the amount of money which has been withdrawn too much.
  • If you cancel your membership in time, we will only withdraw as much as needed until the end of your membership.
  • In rare cases, we will debit an entirely different amount. This is caused by a previous failure of the direct debit and the resulting banking fees.

How do the withdrawals work?

  • Once each month our system calculates the membership fees to be paid until the end of the quarter of the year.
  • In a regular quarter (e.g. without a cancellation), it would calculate outstanding membership fees of 28,50€ in the first month of the quarter (January, April, July and October).
  • In these months, we usually deduct the membership fees. In other months, it would calculate outstanding fees of 0€ since the fees until the end of the quarter have already been paid. In that case a withdrawal would not be initiated.
  • If you become a member during the quarter, we would only withdraw the fees for the months, where you have already been a member. The amount might therefore reduce to 19€.
  • The fees might also be deducted together with the fees of the next quarter, if you become a member at the end of a quarter (so it may be 38€ or 47,50€ in the next quarter).
  • If you cancel your membership in the middle of the quarter, we will either reduce the amount at the start or, if we have already withdrawn the money before we knew about the cancellation, we will transfer the amount taken too much back to your bank account.
  • For the beginning of the membership or cancellation dates, only the membership application or cancellation matter. If you just stop using our membership services, your rental contract ends, or similar things happen, it has no impact on your membership fees.

I was asked to transfer money to your bank account. What are your bank details?

Our bank details are written in the same e-mail in which you were asked to transfer money to our bank account. You can also find it under legal details. Please transfer the exact amount of money, that is mentioned in the treasurer’s email. After we receive the money the automatic direct debiting will be resumed.

Please always mention your membership number (VNR) in your transaction. Otherwise we will not be able to see who sent the money! You can find your VNR in MySelfnet.

The direct debiting failed. Why do I have to pay an extra fee?

If a deduction fails (because of an unfunded or expired bank account or because of a wrong or expired direct debit authorization) the involved banks usually charge a few Euros (2€ - 7€) for the failed transaction.

You will have to pay the bank charge yourself as it would be unfair towards the other members, if they had to pay for it.

My bank details have changed. What do I need to do?

We do need a new direct debit authorization (SEPA mandate) in order to be able to book money from your account. You can either go to MySelfnet and follow the instructions or you can visit one of our office hours with your new bank account information.

I want to start using Selfnet, but I don’t have a bank account yet. How do I proceed?

Generally, membership fees need to be paid for all period when you are a member of Selfnet. However, we know that it can take some time to get settled and to open a bank account e.g. for international students. Selfnet therefore offers an option during the membership registration to provide the SEPA mandate later. Anyway, you will be able to start using the services of Selfnet right away. In this case, the membership fees for the first period will be deducted retrospectively from your bank account when the SEPA mandate is provided. The deadline to provide a SEPA mandate is usually set to a date roughly in the middle of the following month, which will allow for a few weeks to complete all the formalities and to get your bank account ready. Shortly before the deadline, there will be an e-mail reminder to provide your bank account.

Subletting

How can my subtenant get access to the dormitory network / internet?

Your subtenant is welcome to become a member of Selfnet e.V. themselves. They can just register on our website about 2 days before moving in and send us a scan (or well readable photo) of the signed rental agreement via email.

We will then create a separate individual room network for your subtenant. Your room network will be deactivated for the duration.

What has to be considered?

  • The membership fee is paid for the membership and not for the use of any service as long as you are a member! If you want to save the membership fees for the calendar months you are not in the dormitory you are welcome to apply for a resting membership
  • We have been asked to only accept subrental agreements sanctioned by the Studierendenwerk Stuttgart (your landlord). These are either done by a “Wohnheimreferat” (where available) or if there is no Wohnheimreferat it should be done with the official subrental agreement form from the website of the Studierendenwerk Stuttgart (in that case the Hausmeister / facility manager also has to sign it). You can find more information about this on the website of the Studierendenwerk Stuttgart: https://www.studierendenwerk-stuttgart.de/en/accommodation/student-subletting/
  • If you sublet your room within a calendar month and want to stop your subtenant from using your individual network connection you are legally responsible for you can either block the room network yourself using the MySelfnet (after logging into MySelfnet under “Misc (e-mail, disable network)”) or you can send us an email and ask to block your room network between two dates you can specify.

Is my subtenant allowed to use my individual connection to the dormitory network / internet in my room?

Short answer: No.

Long answer:

  • Selfnet is a “Verein” (club or association run by volunteers). As it is common in every organisation of this type: Only members are allowed to use the membership services (Vereinsleistungen).
  • Everyone is legally responsible for their own network connection.
    • Because we check the rental / subrental agreement and create an individual room network for the member analogous to the (sub-)rental agreement it is clear to us who is responsible in which room.
    • If a judge forces us to divulge the personal information of a member using a specified connection by a court order we will be divulge your personal information.

Questions about Selfnet e.V

What is a “Verein” (association)?

An association (or club) is formed by people which pursue a common goal.

The purpose of Selfnet e.V. is transfer of knowledge in the area of IT and communication technology. For this goal Selfnet e.V. operates a capable network in most of the student dormitories of Stuttgart.

Members therefore not only have the option to use the networking connection in their student dormitory room to research for studies, but also to volunteer by actively participating in the club’s activities.

Is everyone allowed to volunteer?

Yes. If you have any spare time left and want to to learn something new you are welcome to visit us. More information can be found on About us.

The work for Selfnet e.V. is voluntarily which means no one is earning any money. Most of us are students at universities in and around Stuttgart.

When does the membership end?

The membership in Selfnet e.V. ends (as with every other organisation of the type “Verein”) when the member cancels the membership.

Cancellation (according to the club’s statutes) is possible to the end of every month that is not yet in the past. Deadline for cancellation is two weeks prior to the end of the month.

What are membership fees?

Membership fees occur for the membership itself unless the membership is resting or has been cancelled.

The membership fees fund all of the association’s activities.

Whether a member used any of the membership services or not doesn’t have any influence on the membership fee.

Network

How do I setup my network settings?

Choose DHCP in your network settings to automatically obtain an IP address! If it doesn’t work try to repeat it with elevated privileges (administrator).

What kind of network cable do I need?

You need at least a CAT 5 network cable with RJ45 plugs on the ends. You can buy such a cable at any computer store or during Selfnet office hours. Attention: no broadband or ISDN cable!

If you buy a Cat. 6 twisted pair S/FTP cable with a RJ45 the price should not be a lot more than 1 Euro per metre. Just a suggestion. :-)

What sort of network interface card do I need?

You will need a 10/100/1000 mbit (Ethernet) network card. These can be bought at your local electronics retailer

I cannot send e-mails using my favourite mail client. Why?

The common port for sending e-mails (25, SMTP) is blocked for several reasons. In order to send e-mails you should choose one of the following configuration possibilities: (first method preferred):

  • You can use SMTPS (Port 465, secured via SSL/TLS) and authorization using your username and password.
  • You can use an alternative port in order to contact your SMTP server (usually port 587).
  • You can use the mail-server of our provider (mail.belwue.de via port 587) for sending mails. Attention: this server only accepts e-mails from within the BelWue network (Universities in our region and Selfnet)

Ask your provider (first have a look on their website!) which method is supported with your e-mail account and how to configure the mail client correctly.

I filled in the registration form, but can’t get access to the Internet (instead just to a few websites)

If you are a sub-tenant or if we could not verify your data automatically, we need to check your rental contract manually. When there are a lot of these cases, e.g. in september/october, this may take a few days. If your rental contract starts next month, your network connection will be enabled accordingly. Please send us an e-mail, in case you want to use it earlier.

Is there Wireless LAN available in the dormitories Selfnet takes care of?

In some dormitories you can find a centralised Wireless LAN called “Selfnet”. You can find the supported dormitories on our WLAN page. Besides the Wireless LAN there is network outlet (LAN) in every room of the dormitories we take care of, which can be used to access the Selfnet network.

If you live in a dorm without a centralized WLAN you can still use your mobil devices if you get a router, connect it to the LAN port and broadcast your own WLAN-Network. If you have trouble doing so please refer to our guide on it.

Abbreviations / explanations

What is the VNR?

The VNR is the membership number assigned to each Selfnet e.V. member. You can find your VNR in MySelfnet.

What is the mandate reference number (Mandatsreferenz)?

To deduct the membership fees from your European SEPA bank account via SEPA direct debit we require a SEPA mandate. The individual number of these mandates is the mandate reference number.

What is the creditor ID number (Gläubiger-Identifikationsnummer)?

Within the European SEPA system the creditor ID number explicitly identifies Selfnet e.V.. If you find our creditor ID on your bank account history, this deduction was done by Selfnet e.V. for the membership fees. You can find our creditor ID number in our imprint.

Information about sending support emails

Subject and content

The more precise your email subject and the text within is the more likely it is that you will receive not only a fast but also a helpful answer.

An empty subject with a “does not work” within your email is not helpful as we will not even know what does not work for you.

Especially if there is a technical issue it is almost impossible to find the root cause without an exact description of the problem (eg. how is your computer connected (network cable, directly to the network outlet or with a router, a wireless network, which wireless network), what did you already try?, what did you change?).

If it is too hard to explain the problem in detail you are welcome to visit one of the office hours in Allmandring 8a or Heilmannstr. 4B in person.

Sender email address

If you send an email from an unknown email address that is not in our membership database we can only answer with public accessible information.

For general questions this is sufficient but if you have an individual problem and send your email from an unknown address, we cannot look into the membership database and therefore cannot help you at all or at least not efficiently.

If you are a member you can change your email address either in person in one of our office hours but also yourself within the MySelfnet.

We do NOT want a scan or photo of your official ID documents

  • We will never ask for a copy of your ID or passport.
  • You may need to identify yourself for certain matters when visiting our consultation hours. However, we will never ask you for a copy of these documents.
  • Sending us these documents will not provide you with any advantages.