Wireless Service

Students using a laptop with wireless service

Wireless Service

During spring 2008, the DOR surveyed all residence hall residents regarding computer use and connectivity. The majority of students indicated they were extremely interested (61.8%) or very interested (19.5%) in having wireless access in and around the residence halls.

As a result of these finding and further conversation with IRHA, in spring 2009, the DOR began a project to bring ubiquitous wireless service to all on-campus residence halls. This page is intended to answer your question about the new wireless service and provide you some guidelines for use. If you have a question that is not answered here, please contact us.

Where is coverage available? Eventually, coverage will be building wide in all residence halls, however, this project will take almost 18 months to complete. Unless there are unforeseen issues, wireless access will be available according to the following schedule:

Spring 2009

Eaton, Martin and Buchanan

Summer 2009

Maple, Willow, Larch and Helser

Fall 2009

Wallace and Wilson

Winter 2010

Barton, Lyon, Freeman, Oak and Elm

Summer 2010

Birch, Welch, Roberts, Friley and Linden

What wireless standards will the system support? Wi-Fi Certified 802.11b/g/a/n

Do I need any new hardware or software for my computer? You will need an 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n compatible wireless card. Wireless Ethernet cards are available on campus at TechCYte in the University Book Store, or at other area computer retailers. New laptop computers are typically sold with integrated wireless cards.

What data speeds should I expect? The wireless network was designed to give each student a 10Mb average connection. Speeds will vary depending on usage and your equipment, but computers using 802.11n will get anywhere from 10Mb to 108Mb connections.

Will the hardwired port in my room remain in service? Yes, the current Ethernet jack will remain active.

How do I get access to the wireless network? You can connect to the wireless network just as you would on campus, but the network name (SSID) will be different. The SSID's in the Residence Halls will be RES-GOLD for 802.11n 5 GHz and RES-CARDINAL for 802.11b/g/n 2.4 GHz. Each wireless user on campus must register their computer through a process called NetReg. NetReg requires a valid Iowa State University Network-ID and password. This is the same ID and password used to access other on-campus computing resources. For assistance using NetReg, contact the Solution Center by telephone at 515-294-4000 or by email at solution@iastate.edu.

  1. Open a web browser (e.g., Internet Explorer, Firefox).
  2. You should be presented with the registration page (if not, go to http://netreg.iastate.edu).
  3. Enter your Iowa State Net-ID and password. Click Next.
  4. Enter your primary location on campus. Click Next.
  5. Select your system type (laptop or desktop). Click Next.
  6. Read the information presented. If you agree, click I Agree.

Can I have a private wireless access point in my room? No, wireless will be available in all rooms therefore additional access points will interfere and degrade wireless service for everyone.

What happens if I do install a private wireless access point in my room? If you disrupt network access with your wireless router, you will be blocked from accessing the network

Can I use my existing wireless router with the wireless disabled? Yes, you can continue to use your device as a router connected to the Ethernet jack provided in the room if the wireless radio is disabled.

Can I connect my video gaming system wirelessly with the new network? If you have a wireless adapter on your gaming system, you can connect via wireless, or you can use the wired Ethernet jack. There will be no encryption issues. To manually NetReg the gaming system, call the Solution Center at 294-4000.

What are the security and privacy concerns when using wireless? Because wireless networks utilize radio transmissions, data sent through a wireless network could be intercepted. Users should encrypt sensitive communications (such as passwords and confidential documents) when communicating over a wireless network. The following web sites and network services already include data encryption:

Other applications do not include data encryption. These include:

To protect this transmitted data, Iowa State University provides use of a data transmission encryption tool, called VPN (Virtual Private Network) client software. The VPN service will encrypt all traffic to and from any other computer on the Iowa State campus. The VPN client software is available at https://vpn.iastate.edu. VPN installation instructions are available at http://www.it.iastate.edu/security/.

Who can I call if I need assistance or there are problems with the wireless network? For trouble with the wireless network, call the Solution Center at 294-4000.