PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) are increasingly being used to support academic activities at UMass Amherst. For this reason, OIT has begun offering help for owners of PalmOS and Pocket PC PDAs who would like to connect to the UMass wireless network.
Many PDAs, especially newer models, come with built-in or integrated wireless networking capabilities. For other models, you will have to set up an external or add-on wireless card. See our PDA recommendations for guidelines you can use when purchasing a PDA.
Note: As of June 12, 2007, this service requires your UMail password (the password you usually enter to access your UMass email account) to log in. OIT is phasing out the use of the UMAccess password in an effort to simplify the way members of the UMass community connect to the campus network and access other OIT services.
Getting Started
To use a PDA on the wireless network:
- You must have an OIT Account and know your NetID (OIT Account user name) and UMail password.
- Your PDA must have either an integrated or a external 802.11 wireless communications card. UMass does not support Bluetooth connections.
- Your PDA must have an SSL (Secure Socket Layer)-capable browser in order to log in to the wireless network.
- You (and your PDA) must be located in a wireless coverage area. See our wireless coverage map (PDF, 1.5 MB) to find a coverage area near you.
Note: In general, PDAs use less power and therefore have weaker antennas than laptops. There may be some areas where you can access the wireless network via your laptop, but not your PDA.
Establish a Connection to the Wireless Network
We’re providing general instructions for configuring your PDA to connect to the wireless network at UMass. Specific instructions will vary depending upon your PDA's brand, its operating system and the type (built-in or external) and brand of its wireless card. Refer to your PDA’s documentation as necessary.
Step 1: Configure Your PDA
In most cases, configuring your PDA to access the UMass wireless network is relatively simple, especially if you have a PDA with an integrated wireless card. Refer to your PDA’s documentation for specific instructions on setting and modifying your PDA's preferences for wireless access.
Some things to bear in mind:
- Some PDAs come with the ability to enable or disable wireless. Before you attempt to connect to the wireless network, make sure wireless is enabled.
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We have set up our network to broadcast our SSID (Service Set Identifier) so that PDAs and other devices can automatically detect and connect to our network. Your PDA should automatically detect the UMass wireless network.
If it does not, you may have to create a wireless profile on your PDA. Set up a profile with the following parameters, if asked:
- SSID = UMASS (all capital letters)
- Do NOT select WEP Encryption
- IP Address = Automatic (or DHCP)
- DNS Server = Automatic
- Do NOT select Use Short Preamble
- Under Connect to: select infrastructure as opposed to Ad-Hoc
Note: This information was entered when setting up a profile on a Tungststen C PalmOS device. Your PDA may or may not require you to enter this type of information.
- Depending upon where you are when you are trying to connect, your device may report seeing more than one wireless network. Select UMASS (all caps) if you are prompted to choose a network.
Step 2: Log in to the UMass Wireless Network
To connect to the UMass wireless network, you'll need to identify yourself as a member of the UMass community. To do so:
- Turn on or re-start your PDA.
- Open an Internet browser.
- Attempt to access a Web page.
- If your PDA is correctly configured, you will see the UMass wireless network login screen.
- In the fields on the left side of the screen, enter your NetID (OIT Account user name) and UMail password, then tap Login. If successful, you will be briefly directed to a confirmation screen, and then to the Web page you tried to access.
Note: As of June 12, 2007, this service requires your UMail password (the password you usually enter to access your UMass email account) to log in. OIT is phasing out the use of the UMAccess password in an effort to simplify the way members of the UMass community connect to the campus network and access other OIT services.
Need Help?
If you encounter problems, submit an online Help Request.
- or -
Contact the OIT Help Desk at 545-9400.
