We are adding more and more buildings and outdoor areas to our wireless network each semester.

To find a wireless coverage area near you, look for our blue "hotspot" signs across campus. Also, download our wireless coverage map (pdf, 1.5M) or view a list of buildings in text (HTML) format.

No. There is no official wireless coverage in residence halls at this time. Stay tuned.

To access the network, you (and your laptop computer) need to be in a wireless networked location, and you need to have the following:

• An OIT Account: To log in to the network, you will need your NetID (OIT Account user name) and your UMail password. If you do not have an OIT Account, or if you cannot remember your password, please come to the OIT Accounts Desk at A107 LGRC (Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.- 4:45 p.m.). Don't forget your UCard!
• Wireless networking card or adapter: OIT has verified that the following cards and adapters work on the UMass wireless network:
  • Windows: Orinoco Gold and Cisco Aironet 352 PCMCIA cards and Dell TrueMobile 1150 Series MiniPCI wireless adapter
  • Macintosh: Apple "AirPort" card and Orinoco Gold card

  Wireless networking cards can be purchased from OIT Hardware Support (A22 LGRC). Once you have the wireless card or adapter, follow the vendor's instructions for installing it: plug in the card, and run an installer program to add the software.

  Note: "Bluetooth" and "2MB" wireless cards are not compatible with our network. All cards must be 802.11b or 802.11g-compliant.

Virtual Private Networking (VPN) client software establishes a secure connection to the UMass wireless network and encrypts all data being passed over the network. VPN software provides an extra layer of security and is especially useful over a wireless connection, where network traffic is sent "through the air".

We recommend that you establish a VPN connection when you are using an application that does not have built in encryption (e.g., AOL Instant Messenger) or when you feel you need added security. See our VPN pages for more information and to download VPN clients for select operating systems. Note that there is no need to make a VPN connection when accessing UMail on the Web and SPIRE; these applications are already encrypted.

No. Once you log in with your NetID (OIT Account user name), the network automatically identifies you as a member of the UMass community.

Yes. You can connect to the UMass wireless network with both 802.11g and 802.11b-compliant cards. Please note, however, that "Bluetooth" and "2MB" wireless cards are not compatible with our network.

You can use either Windows XP or the vendor software, but not both. In general, the vendor software will have more features than Windows XP.

No. Your wireless card should automatically detect the UMASS SSID if wireless coverage is available in your area.

SSID, or Service Set Identifier, is the network "name", broadcast from a wireless access point. The SSID for the UMass wireless network is UMASS.

To ensure a secure connection, always pick UMASS as your SSID. Other SSIDs belong to other networks, some of them with questionable levels of security (a.k.a. ‘rogue’ networks). Because they interfere with the campus network, and pose a serious security risk, please report any ‘rogue’ access points to wireless@oit.umass.edu.

No. Your wireless card will automatically detect the channels available in your area, and select the channel that provides the best wireless reception. Note that you cannot manually select or change wireless channels.

Wireless technology is a "shared" medium, meaning that the more users are connected to an access point, the less bandwidth everyone has to share. The quality of a wireless connection also depends on what each person uses the connection for: emailing, for instance, will take less bandwidth than downloading a large file.

No! Simultaneous connections threaten the stability of the campus network. Also known as Network Bridging, configuring your computer in this way will result in the loss of your network connection. Remember that you can use only one connection at a time. Ethernet jacks on campus are set up to automatically shut off once they detect network bridging. Learn more about Network Bridging and Switching Between Networks

If you encounter problems, submit an online Help Request.
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Contact the OIT Help Desk at 545-9400.