Resources

CS Wireless Network Facilities

Overview

The Computer Science Department provides access to two wireless networks:

UAWireless is available to students, faculty, staff, and guests and allows access to common services (e.g., web, mail) using public IP addresses with no WEP key. It is offered by CCIT at various locations on campus and within CS in association with CCIT. This is the preferred wireless network for most users.
The CS Main Network is provided for faculty and staff to allow network access equivalent to a departmental desktop.

[Note: the CS Sandbox Network, a limited service offering using private IP addresses and proxies, was retired in late Summer 2006]

Access to both networks is available in the Gould-Simpson Building ground floor Computer Lab (GS 228) and on the seventh, eighth, and ninth floors.

These networks are based on IEEE 802.11b/g ("Wi-Fi") products using Cisco 1200 Access Points. There are four Access Points on the seventh floor, four on the ninth floor, and one in GS228.

The Wi-Fi specification allows for several classes of PC cards. 802.11g cards support 128-bit encryption and are rated at 54Mbps with 15-20Mbps real throughput. 802.11b cards may be labeled Gold, Silver, or Bronze. Gold cards support 128-bit encryption, Silver cards support 64-bit encryption, and Bronze cards do not support encryption. 802.11b Gold and Silver cards rated at 11Mbps have 4-5Mbps real throughput. Actual performance is affected by distance from Access Points and interference. Note that newer laptops have built-in 802.11b or 802.11g cards.

Each of the wireless networks is on a separate VLAN to allow for greater control in access to resources and services. Each has its own DHCP service.

How to Connect

DHCP

Access to the networks is given through IP address assignments via DHCP. PC MAC addresses must be registered with the appropriate DHCP server in order to receive an IP address.

For details on DHCP and registering MAC addresses, see DHCP Registration

After registering, a confirmation is emailed with specifics on the network, including SSID and WEP key (as applicable).

Configuration and Troubleshooting

Note that due to limited staff resources, we are unable to offer individual assistance in setting up student systems.

The procedure for configuring wireless cards varies depending on the operating system and card manufacturer. The most important entries are the Network Name (SSID) and WEP key (if required). These are case-sensitive and must be specified exactly.

Windows and newer versions of Linux and Mac OS offer GUI tools for configuring wireless network parameters. Some older Linux configuration options are at Linux Wireless Configurations.

To check if an IP address has been assigned by the DHCP server:
Windows NT/2K/XP - open a command prompt
and enter the command: ipconfig /all
Linux/Unix/Mac - open a terminal window
and enter the command: ifconfig -a

The results should display an IP address in the range below based on the network name:

Network Name	IP Address
UAWireless	128.196.203.*
CS Main Network	150.135.68.*

Reporting problems

If you believe that the network is down or there is a problem with the service, contact lab.