About the UI Wireless Service

Overview

The University of Iowa Wireless service is provided by Telecommunications & Network Services (TNS), a division of Information Technology Services (ITS). The University of Iowa provides Wi-Fi wireless access for students, faculty, staff, and guests. This service provides wireless data network access for mobile computing devices such as laptops and PDA’s. The University focuses on providing access in common spaces, classrooms, conference rooms, and similar areas. Office space and other non-public areas may be covered, but these types of spaces are not currently priority coverage areas.

Wi-Fi Benefits and Limitations

The wireless service is recommended for convenient access to the University’s data network for low-bandwidth applications such as web browsing and accessing email. Wireless communications allow for device mobility and easy physical reconfiguration of systems in a collaborative environment.

The wireless service is not intended for time-sensitive or mission-critical applications, such as network-based exams. There are many commercial wireless devices that may cause interference. Interference from nearby devices can result in degraded service or service interruption. These devices include cordless phones, wireless cameras, wireless microphones, etc.

The capacity of the wireless network to carry data is shared among devices in an area, so a large number of devices in a small area can result in slow speeds for everyone. It is not recommended that large groups (greater than 30) use the wireless service concurrently in a small area. If an application requiring a high user population is required, please contact ITS (5-2945 or its-wireless@uiowa.edu) to design a solution.

Coverage Areas
See Coverage Areas/Hot Spots for more information on wireless coverage areas. ITS is currently working on providing more detailed documentation.

Configuration, Troubleshooting and Support
The UI Wireless Support Site provides detailed information on how to obtain wireless software, configure common clients, and troubleshoot common wireless issues. The Help Desk supports Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Mobile, and Mac OS X operating systems. You can call the Help Desk for additional support at 4-HELP (319-384-4357). You can also visit the Help Desk in person (hours and locations can be found here). Faculty and staff may get additional support from college, department, or other local IT support staff.

Who can access the Network?
The University requires authentication to gain access to the wireless network. Users must have a valid Hawk ID or guest ID that is authorized to use the service. Most faculty, staff, and students are automatically authorized. Authorization may be revoked to resolve a security issue or remove a problematic device from the network. ITS provides a pre-configured authentication client for Windows XP systems, which is available to all University students, faculty, and staff.

Guest Access and Conferences
Guest ID’s authorized to use the University’s wireless service can be obtained from the ITS Help Desk (4-HELP) or by visiting the ITS Help Desk locations in University Capitol Centre or the Main Library Instructional Technology Center (ITC).  Any University of Iowa faculty or staff member can sponsor a guest.  Large groups, conferences or Summer Programs accommodations can be made by contacting Marianne Holton in Learning Spaces Technology at 335-6304 or marianne-holton@uiowa.edu.   Please allow 7 day notice for large group events.

Data Privacy
You should take the same precautions with regard to protecting data when using the wireless network as you do when transmitting data over the traditional wired network. Data that needs to be secure, should be encrypted end-to-end. For example, when you are shopping at Amazon.com, the checkout process is encrypted from your computer all the way to the Amazon.com servers to protect sensitive information. You generally verify this type of encryption by looking for a lock box that indicates the session is secured.

The University encrypts over-the-air wireless traffic as a best-effort to protect it from eavesdropping, but the University cannot guarantee the protection of that data.

Service Fees
There are currently no recurring fees associated with the wireless service. If an organizational entity would like to expand wireless coverage, they are responsible for installation costs.

Wireless Client Requirements
ITS does not support non-mobile devices, such as desktop computers configured to use a USB wireless adapter. The service supports clients using IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g access protocols. Client adapters must support the IEEE 802.11i security standard, which is also known as WPA2 enterprise. When purchasing a card, you should verify that it is WPA2 certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance. Most wireless client adapters manufactured in the last few years meet the above requirements. The WEP security protocol has been retired.

The supported operating systems are Microsoft Vista, Windows XP, Windows Mobile, Mac OS 10.3+, and some Palm OS devices.

The authentication protocol used at the University is EAP-PEAPv0/MS-CHAP-v2. Support for this protocol is built into Microsoft Vista and Mac OS 10.3+. ITS provides a pre-configured client for Microsoft Windows XP (Cisco Secure Services Client). This client is available for download on the Help Desk Software Download site. Other operating systems may require the installation of an add-on authentication client.

Installing Your Own Access Points

Classrooms and Offices
Members of the University community should not install their own wireless networking equipment without written consent from ITS. Deploying consumer-grade wireless access points is strongly discouraged. These devices have been responsible for numerous network problems on campus (wired and wireless), including building-wide network outages. ITS will provide configuration parameters for devices that are approved for installation, but the individual installing the device is responsible for its proper configuration. You can request permission to install an access point by sending an email to its-wireless@uiowa.edu.

Residence Halls
ITS provides wireless Internet access in many common areas in the Residence Halls. These access points are fully supported by ITS and the Help Desk.

Students are discouraged from installing their own wireless access point/router in their room. If they are installed, these wireless networks are not supported by ITS.  Students must secure their personal wireless access point/router using the requirements provided by the IT Security Office using the device vendor’s instructions. ITS reserves the right to disable any device that disrupts the campus network or violates the ResNet Acceptable Use Policy.

Known Issues

If you are using a Linux operating system with the Xsupplicant client, you will need to obtain a wireless service ID from the ITS Help Desk, so that you do not store your Hawk ID in clear text form in the Xsupplicant configuration file. As an alternative, the wpa_supplicant (http://hostap.epitest.fi/wpa_supplicant/) is more actively maintained and can function without locally storing your password. Linux configurations are not supported by ITS. See more known issues and solutions on the UI Wireless Troubleshooting page

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