The Division of Information Technology is upgrading UMBC's wireless infrastructure to better improve performance for the campus community. Beginning on July 8, 2008 we will begin migrating buildings that contain OIT managed wireless access points. Each building will take approximately 15 minutes to migrate.
IMPORTANT: New Wireless Network Names
- 'UMBC Campus' Replaces the old 'Tsunami' network
- 'UMBC Visitor' New Network for Visitors and Wireless Devices (e.g. iPhones)
One important change to note is there will be two new wireless network names (i.e. SSID). The first one is called ‘UMBC Campus’ which will be replacing the old ‘Tsunami’ name. The majority of our campus wireless users will use the new ‘UMBC Campus’ wireless network. This network will require a myUMBC Account.
The second wireless network is named ‘UMBC Visitor’. This network does not require a myUMBC Account. This new wireless network should be used by customers that have wireless devices (e.g. iPhone, iPod Touch etc.) which don’t typically work well with the UMBC wireless authentication page.
The ‘UMBC Visitor’ network will not allow access to campus resources such as Active Directory. We recommend that customers use the ‘UMBC Campus’ network, which requires a login, to access these type of resources.
Access to the old ‘Tsunami’ network will be removed from service on Monday, July 14, 2008. At that time all wireless users should be using the new ‘UMBC Campus’ or ‘UMBC Visitor’ wireless networks.
Help in configuring your wireless can be found on the wireless support site..
Migration Time Line
Tuesday July 8th:
Engineering Building as the initial test
Wednesday July 9th:
ITE
Physics
Library
Sondheim
University Center
The RAC
Chemistry
Central Plant
Alumni House
Thursday July 10th:
ACIV
Administration
AcServ
Fine Arts
Math/Phy
PPlant
Stadium
Friday July 11th:
Biology
PPolicy
SouthCampus
TRC
Multitenant
Comments (10)
Just out of curiousity, why do you continue refusing to let us get the UMBC wireless access in the dorms and apts? For all we pay in fees, I would think you could give us this capability. It would make study groups when we need internet access to get work done so much better and easier.
Posted by Joan | July 2, 2008 10:59 PM
Posted on July 2, 2008 22:59
Will wireless be available for Walker Avenue Apartments residents now?
Posted by Anonymous | July 3, 2008 1:52 PM
Posted on July 3, 2008 13:52
Will the access points be 802.11b, g or n? (or a?)
-R.
Posted by Richard Chang | July 3, 2008 4:17 PM
Posted on July 3, 2008 16:17
Will this migration be transparent to tsunami clients, or will we have to re-apply and if so where can we find the instructions?
Posted by Frank Hanson | July 3, 2008 6:10 PM
Posted on July 3, 2008 18:10
A few comments and questions have been posted to this article that I would like to answer.
1)Residential Housing: We are in the midst of installing WiFi 'G' access points for Harbor Hall, Erickson Hall and Chesapeake Hall. Wireless will be available throughout each of these buildings in all rooms. It will be available for the start of Fall 2008. There are plans to do more buildings next Summer 2009.
2) WiFi in the Walker: Providing WiFi for Walker Apartments will need to be discussed with ORL. UMBC does not own Walker Ave apartments so installing a large and expensive infrastructure there may not make sense. However, no final decisions have been made with respect to Walker.
3)We will be using 802.11 'G' when installing new access points. These will be installed in the three residential buildings mentioned above. At the time we placed the order for the wireless access points the 'N' standard had not been finalized and we could not afford to delay our order.
4) The 'Tsunami' network will be available though this weekend and will be shutdown on Monday, July 14. At that time all WiFi users should be migrated to one of the two new network names 'UMBC Campus' or 'UMBC Visitor'. A link was provided in this article "wireless support site" that will help users change their Mac or PC WiFi settings.
Posted by Michael Carlin | July 7, 2008 9:11 AM
Posted on July 7, 2008 09:11
Okay, is it just me or does UMBC Campus ask you to revalidate your login every so often (like every hour or so)? If I'm in class and leave my laptop open to take notes, and have say my mail and IM client open, eventually all connections fail and when I look in firefox, I'm asked to log in again. Is that an issue with the new authentication stuff or is that an issue with my wireless (I wouldn't put it past my wireless card to be on the fritz).
On a secondary note, is it possible for you guys to make a SSO so that if I log in to UMBC Campus, then go to my.umbc.edu or blackboard.umbc.edu I'm not asked to log in again? A SSO system would really be nice. Even having a grace-period of like 5 minutes would be great. That way, I'm not constantly inputting all my information each time. I know I could store the info in the browser; however, if my laptop is lost/stolen, then I don't want that. So having a SSO would be the next-best-thing to saving passwords.
Posted by Brett Patterson | July 15, 2008 12:32 PM
Posted on July 15, 2008 12:32
I have the same problem as Brett; I'm getting a dropped connection, and needing to sign in, again, every 15 minutes or so.
Posted by Alex Szatmary | July 16, 2008 12:44 PM
Posted on July 16, 2008 12:44
For residents living in Erickson that bring a video game console to their dorms and they want to hook it up to the internet, will the UMBC visitor network suffice since personal routers are no longer allowed?
Posted by Anonymous | August 23, 2008 10:52 AM
Posted on August 23, 2008 10:52
Is it just me, or has the wireless Internet in the library (and pretty much anywhere else on campus) been unbearably slow?
Posted by Zeeshan M. | September 4, 2008 7:03 PM
Posted on September 4, 2008 19:03
Thanks, -Steve
Posted by Steve Sek | September 4, 2008 9:03 PM
Posted on September 4, 2008 21:03