California State University, Los Angeles
Why Wi-Fi?
Students instrumental in getting a campus wireless network
The Cal State L.A. wireless network (Wi-Fi) is now available for students, faculty, and staff. The campus has plenty of coverage with 24/7 access points (hotspots) in ten heavily used areas (see map below). Additional hotspots are planned.
New hotspot locations will be posted to http://www.calstatela.edu/wireless.
ASI Helps Get Wi-Fi at CSULA
Last winter, Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) pushed the idea of campus-wide Wi-Fi. ASI arranged a series of student focus groups, which were facilitated by Information Technology Services (ITS). The collaboration between the two organizations yielded quick results.
By spring a pilot was underway. Student, faculty, and staff beta testers put the system through its paces and gave feedback online. Adjustments were made, equipment was tweaked, and Wi-Fi was fully operational on campus before the start of the fall 2006 quarter. Now the campus community can do research, write term papers, check e-mail, or browse the Internet.
How Can I Connect?
To access the campus Wi-Fi, you need your regular campus network account and a computer or laptop that must meet these minimum standards:
- A wireless card standard that is 802.11b or 802.11g compliant
- Anti-virus definitions dated within eight days of login
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One of these operation systems:
- Windows XP with Service Pack (SP) 2 or higher
- Windows 2000 with SP 3 or higher
- Macintosh OS X
For an encrypted connection, the wireless transceiver must support WPA encryption and must be properly configured (WPA2 is preferred). For more about technical requirements and standards check the Wireless FAQ at http://www.calstatela.edu/wireless.
Don't Forget Security
Security is a priority for everyone. The Cal State L.A. wireless network was built with security in mind. Each connection is protected by a “stateful” firewall – individual protection beyond the University firewall to help protect computers from attacks occurring when data is sent to or from your computer and the access point ("in the air"). All users must authenticate at login to prevent unauthorized access. And, the campus Wi-Fi supports WPA2 encryption, the strongest available.
Get more information about security, updates, training materials, and technical support at http://www.calstatela.edu/wireless.
Strings Attached, But No Wires
The same policies, guidelines, laws, and regulations that govern the use of network accounts apply to accessing the wireless network. All Acknowledgments of Confidentiality and Appropriate Use of Account statements signed by users apply equally to campus wireless connections.
Unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing is illegal and a violation of campus computer use policy. Users connecting to the wireless network should have no expectations that their transmissions are private. Users should obtain the permission from the copyright holder before downloading or uploading copyrighted works. For more information about users' responsibilities, read User Guidelines for Wireless Access and User Guidelines for E-mail and Electronic Communications available online at http://www.calstatela.edu/its/policies.
ASI and ITS Continue Efforts
The campus thanks ASI for its participation, feedback, and help getting the word out about the Cal State L.A. Wi-Fi. ASI and ITS will continue to work closely to broaden the University's wireless network.