Wireless Networking

Rhodes has an extensive wireless network covering more than thirty-five different locations on campus. Our wireless network is built on WiFi technology, and supports the 802.11 a/b/g standards.

Wireless Networks

There are four separate wireless networks in use at Rhodes, each serving a different segment of the University population. These networks are identified by the name (or SSID) that displays on your PC when you're trying to connect. They are:

• The ru.ac.za wireless network. This secure network is intended for use by University staff, post-doctoral fellows, guests and certain visitors.

  To use this network you will need to configure your computer to make use of WPA-Enterprise or WPA2-Enterprise security (the latter being preferred). Step-by-step instructions for doing this are available for Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7; technical details are available for other users. You'll then need to authenticate each time you use the network using your normal Rhodes username & password.

  You'll also need to register your PC the first time you connect to the network. To do this connect to the ru.ac.za wireless network and then try and visit any web site. Your browser will ask you to log in and complete the registration process.

• The campus.ru.ac.za wireless network. This network is intended for use by students and forms part of the Student Networking service. Instructions for connecting to the campus.ru.ac.za wireless network and signing up for the Student Networking service are available.

• The Public Internet @ Rhodes wireless network. This network is intended for use by short-term visitors who are attending conferences, workshops or other special events hosted at Rhodes. It provides limited access to the Internet and is not considered part of the University's network. This network is usually only available in designated venues for the duration of a particular conference/workshop/event. There's an instruction leaflet available.

  If you're a visitor at such an event, speak to your event's organiser for more details.

• The eduroam-test wireless network. This network is intended for staff & students from eduroam participating organisations, primarily overseas academic institutions.  (This is a reciprocal arrangement, meaning Rhodes staff and students are afforded the same courtesy at other institutions.)  As the network name suggests, this is currently in a test phase and is not fully supported.
  
  Please see our eduroam page for more details of this service.

Hotspots

Rhodes' wireless network does not cover the whole of the University's campus. Instead, there are a number of wireless "hotspots" in various locations on campus, such as the larger lecture venues, the main & Cory libraries, some academic departments, the day kaif, and public or exhibition spaces.

The location of the various wireless hotspots on campus is shown on our interactive coverage map. On the map, the approximate locations of access points are marked with a yellow paddle. Those access points additionally marked with a star have redundant electrical power and are thus available for use during load shedding or other power outages. More information about a particular access point can be obtained by clicking on the paddle.

A more cryptic list of access points is available from our network monitoring system. This list shows the current state of access points — red is bad, and probably means the access point is not currently working.

Public areas that have wireless access available for general use by staff and students typically indicate this by means of the purple antenna symbol shown on the right. You should be able to pick up any of the University's wireless networks within the immediate vicinity (usually 20–30 metres) of the sign.