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 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi Compliant. 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
TRACKS account to be to register your MAC address and be allowed to access the FIT network.
Is your wireless adapter turned on?
Open your client configuration utility and make sure your wireless adapter is turned on. If your adapter
is turned off the bottom of the client window will indicate this condition. If it is off, select the setting
from the main menu that says 'Turn Radio On'.
Do you have the TCP/IP protocol installed and configured correctly?
You should have the TCP/IP protocol installed, associated with your wireless adapter, and configured to
obtain the IP address automatically. It is the same process as configuring your wired connection to
obtain its address automatically. The only difference is that you will be configuring it with your wireless
adapter rather than with a standard Ethernet adapter.
Do you have incorrect information in your wireless client configuration?
You can examine the current configuration of your wireless client by opening the client configuration
utility and selecting properties from the menus at the top of the window. This area allows you to
configure settings such as the Service Set Identifier (SSID), power output, and if WEP is to be used or
not. Another important setting is the “power management.” Some chipset manufacturers default their
output power to minimum to conserve battery. We recommend the setting be put to the highest
level for the most stable and accessible wireless connection.
The campus configuration broadcasts the SSID value of FIT which the client should detect and use
automatically. If you have a different SSID entered that is trying to auto-connect, it may prevent you
from attaching to the campus system. In some cases users may have an SSID entered here if they were
using their wireless connection somewhere else (home, office, another campus, etc.) It is also possible
that some client adapters may require an SSID (which they may also call a Network Identifier or some
similar term.) If for some reason you need to have this set, the campus system uses an SSID of FIT.
The setting for WEP security should be turned off when accessing the FIT network. If you have WEP
enabled you will not be able to be able to associate with the wireless network with the SSID of FIT as it
is not configured to use that encryption.