Introduction to the Wesleyan Wireless Network
Wesleyan provides wireless networking throughout most of the campus, including academic and administrative buildings, dormitories, and many outdoor spaces. While the strength of a signal can vary locally as a result of physical obstructions or transient interference, ITS has recently made significant upgrades to the wireless network in order to reach areas that previously had absent or unreliable signals. If you are aware of an area that continues to have a weak signal, please let us know by emailing wireless@wesleyan.edu. Your feedback lets us know where to focus our efforts in improving service.
Compatibility (with a special note about Windows Vista)
The Wesleyan wireless network is typically compatible with any machine that is equipped with an 802.11b or 802.11g adapter. Windows XP, Macintosh OS X, and Linux machines can all connect to the network. Machines running the newest Windows operating system, Vista, have had difficulty connecting to the wireless network. We recommend that you wait to upgrade to Vista while we work to resolve these issues.
Speed
The wireless network is rated for speeds up to 54 Mb/sec, though in practice, these speeds are seldom achieved. Each wireless access point may have several users connected to it, and the total speed is divided among all users. Consequently, more popular areas will typically yield lower speeds than less used areas. Signal strength also plays a large role in connection speeds. As a rule of thumb, wireless speeds are just fine for Web browsing, streaming music/video, e-mail, and small file transfers. If you will be working with very large files over the network, you will be better served by a wired connection, which is consistently several times faster than a wireless link.
Unauthorized Access Points
In some areas where the Wesleyan wireless network has been unreliable, users have attempted to set up their own wireless access points to fill the gap. It is critical that you do not do this. Unauthorized access points potentially open up our network to unauthorized users. Also, unauthorized access points emit radio waves that interfere with Wesleyan access points and make it impossible for us to provide complete coverage in these areas. We then must spend time and resources to find and shut down the unauthorized access points. Our recent wireless upgrade has already filled in many of the gaps in our network. Again, if you find others, let us know at wireless@wesleyan.edu
Logging In
Users are required to login when using the Wesleyan wireless network. Requiring wireless network logins provides a way to restrict use of the network to faculty, staff, students, and authorized guests. You must log in to the wireless network before using any wireless network services, including e-mail, Web browsing, and accessing files on network drives.
Once you have configured your computer to connect to the wireless network, you can reach the wireless network login page by launching any Web browser and opening any Web page that begins with http://. You will be automatically redirected to the login page.
Note: Pages that begin with https:// cannot be redirected. If you use a page that begins with https:// as your home page, please browse to any Web page beginning with http:// to reach the login page. Once you have logged in, you will be able to reach https:// pages without a problem.
You should login to the wireless network with your Wesleyan username and password. Once you have logged in, you will be able to browse to any Web page, and use other networking services such as e-mail and Dragon access.
Please note that wood frame houses have their own access points separate from the main Wesleyan wireless network and have different connection procedures. For more information on wireless in Woodframe houses, go to:
http://helpdesk.wesleyan.edu/tipsheets/woodframe/woodframe.shtml.
Security
Because the wireless signal can be potentially intercepted as it travels through the air, the wireless network is potentially less secure than a wired connection. While the risk of someone eavesdropping on your wireless communication is typically very small, you should be aware of the risks and what you can do to make your data more secure.
AirWes vs. AirWesLS
Wireless users join the network by connecting to AirWes or AirWesLS. AirWes differs from AirWesLS in that it uses an encryption method called WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy). WEP encrypts data as it is sent back and forth between your computer and the wireless access point, which makes it unreadable to electronic eavesdropping. For directions on how to configure WEP at Wesleyan, go to:
http://www.wesleyan.edu/its/wireless/data/wireless_config.html
You will be prompted to log in with your e-mail password to reach this page. AirWesLS does not use any encryption, requiring less configuration but also providing less security.
Problems with WEP
In real terms, the added security provided by WEP is marginal for a couple of reasons. First, the WEP key is very widely known throughout the Wesleyan community, and anyone with the WEP key can unscramble the encrypted data. Also, the WEP encryption protocol is relatively easily broken, so a determined hacker could defeat the encryption even without knowing the WEP key. We are working on solutions to these security issues, which will be discussed in greater detail below.
Secure Protocols
You can safeguard your data by using secure protocols such as HTTPS and SSH to transmit the data. Secure protocols will protect your data from being read in transit even if you are not using WEP. In addition, secure protocols are more secure than WEP alone because your data will be encrypted at every stage between your computer and the remote computer with which you are communicating. By comparison, WEP encrypts your data at only the wireless stage between your computer and the wireless access point. Not all remote machines will be configured to allow you to use secure protocols, but it is a good idea to use secure protocols whenever they are available, even if you are also using WEP. Below is a table showing common secure protocols and their less secure equivalents.
| Secure Protocol |
Less Secure Equivalent |
Purpose |
| HTTPS (a.k.a SSL) |
HTTP |
Web browsing |
| SSH |
Telnet |
Remote login |
| SFTP |
FTP |
File transfer |
| POPS and IMAPS |
POP and IMAP |
Retrieving e-mail |
| SMTPS |
SMTP |
Sending e-mail |
Most servers at Wesleyan support or require secure protocols, and you are strongly encouraged to use them.
Upcoming Changes for the Fall
Starting this fall, we will be rolling out a new way of connecting to the network that will encrypt your data much more reliably than WEP. The new method will also be much more convenient to configure than the current AirWes procedure. Once the new system is in place, we will phase out AirWesLS, and all users will connect to the wireless network using safe and convenient encryption. In addition to the new encryption, we will be rolling out a system that will scan machines for viruses and security vulnerabilities. If a machine is found to have security problems, the system will show the user how to remediate the problems. All security issues must be resolved before a machine is allowed to join the wireless network. These measures will help ensure that the wireless network does not become a conduit for infected machines to spread viruses throughout our network.