Rhodes University provides Wi-Fi Internet access in a number of private flat complexes and student housing in town, in conjunction with our partner service providers.  Each complex is connected to the University network with a fibre optic or high speed wireless link.  If you live in one of these locations, you can sign up for access.  Please note that, unlike eduroam, each student using this service must pay the charges applicable.

Where is this available?

I live in one of those complexes; how do I start using the service?

• Connection instructions

Costs

• You will need to make pay the service provider before you can access the service in your complex.  This is because the Wi-Fi access points that connect you to the network all belong to the complex's service provider (rather than the University) and that service provider is responsible for maintaining them.  It also means that problems with coverage should be reported to the service provider (see the "Service provider" column above).
• In addition, an annual fee of R493 is payable to the University.  Please visit the sign up page at https://register.ru.ac.za/offcampus/ to pay this fee. It is not refundable, and remains the same throughout the year (the same charge applies, whether you connect for one day or the whole year). However, this fee is only charged once during a given year; you will not charged again if you move between applicable off-campus locations.

Students living in such accommodation, like any other student, will be able to use eduroam when they're on campus without incurring any additional fee. As with students in other off-campus accommodation, they're also welcome to use other Internet service providers rather than the University.

How do I get my digs connected?

Due to financial, technology and staffing constraints, we regret that we are unable to consider adding any additional complexes to the network at this time.

What alternatives are there?

Unfortunately if your digs is not in one of the complexes listed in the table above, then you cannot connect to the Student Network from home. Most students in this circumstance use a local or national Internet service provider to get Internet access at home, using fibre, ADSL, LTE or 5G. These will certainly be more cost-effective than anything we might be able to offer to a small digs.

That said, all of the University's Internet resources offered by the Library & RUconnected are available from anywhere on the Internet. This means that if you've got a private Internet connection at home, you'll still be able to access pretty much the same things as users of the Student Network.

Last Modified: Thu, 11 Jan 2024 16:42:22 SAST