Wireless Networking

• Make sure you are in an area that is covered by Drew's wirelss netowrk. Only certain areas on campus are capable of supporting wireless network access.  The interactive Campus Map shows you available wireless areas when you check the box at the top right next to, "WiFi."  Click on each building to reveal its name in the available label or pop-up box.

• Drew-issued computers are automatically configured to connect to wireless access points on the Drew campus.  You do not need to configure your computer to connect to the network when you are on campus.

• To connect to a wireless router or access point from off campus, follow the directions for off-campus wireless configuration.

• Once you've set up your wireless connection, you should be automatically directed to the authentication page the first time your browser loads. If this does not happen automatically, type in  https://wireless.drew.edu to authenticate your wireless connection. Use your uLogin ID and password.

• For the most part, you will be able to use the Novell Netware servers and Drew web sites without further authentication.  In some cases - for instance, if you are going to use Campus Web - you may be asked to enter your uLogin ID and password again for security reasons.

• Note: If your computer has services that try to connect automatically on boot up to external sites (instant messaging, etc.) they will not work until you authenticate by going to https://wireless.drew.edu and logging in to uLogin. They then should work normally.

• In Windows XP and Vista, you will see a network connection icon in the system tray. Moving the mouse over the icon will give a summary of status (Figure 2). Double-clicking the icon will give a detailed status of the wireless network connection (Figure 3)

Figure 2

•  Generally, covered areas will receive a Good or Excellent signal. You may be able to make successful connections with lower signal strengths, but it is also more likely that the system will disconnect or have slower performance. You can use the connection, but we cannot guarantee complete reliability in areas with less than Good coverage.

• The strength of the wireless signal varies at different points on campus, even during stationary periods.  Wireless access at some sites is much faster; do not be surprised if your connection is slower in the library than it is in your dorm room, for instance.

Figure 3

• Make sure you're in an area in which wireless works properly. The interactive Campus Map shows you available wireless areas when you check the box at the top right next to, "WiFi."  Click on each building to reveal its name in the available label or pop-up box.

• If you walk from one location to another, your wireless card and its software should automatically detect another available wireless access point and switch to it when necessary.

• If you move out of range of any available access point, your network connection will be interrupted. If you move back into range, you will be able to reconnect to the Internet and the Novell network. It may take from a few seconds to a minute to reconnect fully.

• If you put your computer to sleep when connected to wireless, move to a new location, and resume the computer, it should reconnect and reestablish network connections.

• Make sure you're in an area in which wireless works properly. Check the map here.

• If you're attempting to use a non-Drew Computer, we cannot guarantee coverage ranges that we have tested.
• Similarly, if you have installed a third-party wireless card in your computer (that you bought from somewhere besides Drew), your signal reception may vary and CNS cannot guarantee proper reception. 
• Configure the card to use the SSID of "drew", no WEP encryption, and to auto select the wireless channel. We will not be able to provide general support for other wireless cards other than configuration settings.

• Computers with Windows XP and Vista may receive an error message warning that the wireless network is not encrypted. Please check the box stating you want to connect to the wireless network anyway and connect as usual.