skip navigation

Changing Which Wireless Network You Use

CITES > wireless > changing

In some locations, more than one wireless network may be available. The options may include UIUCnet Wireless (the campuswide wireless network), UI Public Wireless (the wireless network provided for visitors at specific locations, including Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and Willard Airport), or local coffeehouse and residential networks.

• If you have a University NetID or a valid guest account, you should use the UIUCnet Wireless network. Its network name is UIUCnet.
  
  
• If you do not have a NetID or a guest account, you should use the UI Public Wireless network. Its network name is UIpublicWiFi.

If your wireless network card attempts to connect to a network that you are not authorized to use, you'll need to change which wireless networks you prefer to use.

Instructions for Windows users and Mac OS X users follow.

Windows

Although many Windows-based wireless cards also provide a different interface supplied by the card's vendor, the following instructions should be generally applicable.

• Windows XP

You can either select your wireless network adapter in the Networking selection of the Control Panel or right-click on the wireless task bar icon as shown below:

When you select View Available Wireless Networks from the right-click menu, the Choose a wireless network dialog box will open and will display a list of all the identified wireless networks in range of your computer.

Select the network you wish to connect to and click the Connect button.

Note: You may see a warning about whether or not the wireless network has wireless-native security enabled. In order to use campus wireless, you should say "yes" when asked whether to connect anyway.

Since the campus VPN server provides better security than wireless-native security, the UIUCnet Wireless network does not use wireless-native security. For more information about the VPN and wireless networking security, see Overview of VPN Security.

For more detailed information about the options available to Windows XP wireless network users, see Microsoft's TechNet site.

• Windows Vista

Under the Start menu (the icon in the lower left corner of the screen), select Connect To. The Connect to a Network dialog box will appear.

Choose your preferred network from the list and click Connect.

More detailed instructions for Windows Vista wireless users can be found at Microsoft's Technet web site.

• Older versions of Windows

For older versions of Windows, consult the documentation that came with your wireless network card. In versions of Windows older than XP, each wireless card manufacturer created its own interface for interacting with the wireless network.

Mac OS X

In laptops containing AirPort wireless adapters, a wave icon will be provided toward the right end of the menu bar near the clock.

Clicking on this wave icon produces a menu that indicates whether the Mac's AirPort is turned on or off. Once the AirPort card is turned on, a list of wireless networks in range will also be displayed in the wireless menu, as shown below:

Select the network you wish to connect to from the list of available options. (In this example, the user has chosen the UIUCnet Wireless network.)