Departmental Use FAQ
We would like wireless coverage in and/or around our building, what do we do?
CNS Wallplate Services provides basic wireless access to buildings
based upon a 3 year plan that began on July 1, 2007
to upgrade the campus network. See the
Wall-Plate Services and Implementation Project website to
check if you are eligible for wireless through this program.
The Implentation Schedule lists when your area will receive
Wallplate Services and basic wireless. If you are not covered
under this project or need high density wireless please submit
a request to
Network Services for a consult on your wireless needs.
What should we do if we are already using wireless systems?
If you already have wireless devices running please contact
us as soon as possible. The potential for harmful RF interference
by neighboring devices is very high. We would like to coordinate
frequency usage and configuration specifics to avoid disruption
of both networks. We can also discuss what would need to be done
to configure your local system to work with the campus wide system.
You should submit a request to
Network Services for a consult on your wireless needs.
What type of Access Points are you using and recommending?
With the Wallplate Services Project you will have a Cisco Aironet
Access Point installed, the model will be based upon your needs.
If you are purchasing your own it is advisable to submit a request
for a consult to Network Services
for the current model of access point compatible with campus wireless.
What should we do if we want wireless voip service?
Wireless VoIP Service is not included with Wallplate Services. You would submit a
Telecommunications
Services Request. for wireless voip service.
UserFAQ
What do I need to access the wireless network?
You will need to have a computing device (e.g., laptop, PDA, phone) with built in wireless or capable
of utilizing a wireless adapter card that is Wi-Fi Compliant with 802.11n or 802.11a/b/g. The product should
have the 'WiFi' logo. 
If your wireless card is 802.11b only it is still supported on campus.
You will also need a valid Gatorlink
account to be able to log in to the network via the campus VPN service
or through the WIPA authentication system.
How do I configure my wireless network card?
Follow the installation instructions and activate the card,
most cards will work with the default configuration.
If they don't then go to the
Troubleshooting page for more assistance.
What do I enter for the SSID, radio channel, and WEP key?
You should not enter any enter any of this information. If you do
configure any of these settings you may not be able to access the
network. Your client in it's default configuration should be able
to automatically detect the settings it needs from the network. If however
your card should require an SSID to be configured you should set it to 'ufw'
as this is the SSID in use by the campus system. For further assistance on
wireless client configuration go to the Troubleshooting
page for more information.
How do I need to configure my computer?
Instructions on how to configure various Windows versions to use the
wireless network are listed at the
CIRCA's UF Software CD Wireless Connectivity Help page. Click on your version of windows on the left-hand menu.
Everything is installed and configured, how do I get on the network?
Once your wireless card is active and you are associated to a wireless
access point you need to log in to the network. This can be accomplished by one
of two methods. The first is to use the campus VPN service.
Use of the VPN will provide a secure connection across the wireless network
and is the recommended method for connecting to the wireless system. If
however the VPN client is not installed or not available you can log in to the
network via a standard web browser. Simply open a web browser and you will
be redirected to the login page. If for some reason the login page does not
appear perform a full reload (usually [Shift]+reload) of your browser. The
process is described at the WIPA
site. Note that if you have the VPN client you do not need to log in
via the web page.
What if I am still having problems getting it to work?
Check the Troubleshooting page
for more assistance.
What if I am associated to a SSID other than ufw?
Check the Troubleshooting page
for more assistance.
Where can I access the wireless network?
You can access the wireless service in any of the indoor and/or
outdoor areas where the service has been deployed. Go to the
Campus Map for current wireless coverage areas.
You should click on the technology link located in the upper left corner, in the blue
square and then select wireless. The buildngs that currently have wireless coverage
will be displayed in a darker color, the reddish outlined area signifies outdoor coverage.
How fast is the connection?
What is the network best used for?
What should I not use the wireless network for?
What problems do wireless networks have? Are
there security issues with using this system? If for some
reason you are unable to use the VPN connection there are application level
services you can use to help secure your wireless communications. For e-mail
use a web based e-mail system that offers an SSL connection. This service is
available for Gatorlink email accounts at https://webmail.ufl.edu/.
For remote host connections like telnet and FTP, utilize SSH services to provide
a secure connection. It is a good idea to use SSH connections even
with the use of a VPN connection to help ensure end to end security.
I've heard about encryption for wireless networks, what is it and
why aren't we using it?
Can I walk around while accessing the network?
How can I get my Gaming Console or other devices on wireless?
The connection depends on your wireless card, it is greatly
affected by the environment, harmful interference, number of
users currently on the access point and the access point itself.
We currently have a mix 802.11n and 802.11a/b/g which will
provide different levels of service.
It is ideally suited for applications that require mobility
and for locations that are difficult or impossible to wire conventionally.
It facilitates and offers new opportunities for research and education.
It is also useful for more mundane purposes like checking e-mail
or web browsing. Low bandwidth applications in general are the best
fit. The limitations of the wireless system can cause unreliable
service for applications that require high bandwidth usage.
As discussed above, applications that require a lot of bandwidth
should not be expected to run reliably over the wireless network.
This would apply to things like streaming audio/video, running server
based applications, large file transfers, and interactive graphic
environments (games).
Wireless systems are limited in bandwidth and they are a 'shared'
medium. This means that multiple users have to share the network
so the total potential speed of the network gets split among them.
It also carries security concerns (see next section). To make matters
worse there are problems that occur as traffic increases on shared
networks that can render them useless. Additionally, there are problems
that can arise from environmental conditions and radio frequency
interference.
Yes, there are definite security issues associated using a wireless
connection that all users should be aware of. The fact that a wireless
network is a shared environment means that anyone within RF reception
distance of you can see every packet you send. The expertise level
required to accomplish this is quite low as well. For this reason
you should never use any unsecured connections to connect to wireless
accounts. The following uses would compromise your account userid
and password if run over an unsecured channel that was under observation:
(Although you can send mail as this doesn't usually require that
an account password be used).
For these reasons we strongly recommend the use of the campus Virtual Private
Network (VPN) system. The client software is relatively easy to install and
is available for free for most operating systems. Use of the VPN client
will help to insure the security of your network activity. For more information
and to obtain the VPN client software please go to the VPN service page.
We recommend using the campus vpn we are not using security methods
such as WEP but have implemented an open authentication wireless network.
The future direction is to use WPA2 which is more secure then the
encryption methods have been in the past.
Yes, this is called 'roaming'. However there are limitations. Area
of campus are broken into regions because of network infrastructure
issues. If you don't cross the boundary of the region you are in
you will be able to move around without loosing connectivity. If
you should cross one of these boundaries you may maintain a wireless
connection but you will have to reauthenticate via the WIPA
process to access the network again. As we move to a centralized management
or LWAPP implementation reauthentication will no longer be necessary.
Login into the WIPA web page with your gatorlink id and password
from your computer. In the lower left hand corner there is another
login box that allows you to sign in a guest. Click "sign in guest"
and enter the address that you received through dhcp, most likely a
10.30.x.x address. Now click "sign in" on the bluesocket page.
This should allow access for your device based upon your credentials.
