Using Multiple Devices on the Student Network
At present the Student Network makes provision for each student to make use of two devices, as follows:
- One wireless device (laptop, tablet, mobile phone, etc)
- One wired device (laptop or desktop in a residence room)
It is currently not possible to register more than one device of each type — so if your laptop is registered on the wireless network and you then decide to register your mobile phone, your laptop will be automatically de-registered.
There are ways to work around this for wired devices, but it is currently not possible to do this for wireless devices without violating both the terms and conditions of the service and the acceptable use policy.
In addition, there is currently no wireless coverage in University residences. Again, whilst end-user WiFi routers (such as the AirPort) are readily available and affordable, it is not possible to use them on the Student Network without violating the AUP. There are sound technical reasons for this, so please don't try. You are likely to break things for everyone else.
The good news is that both of these constraints are likely to change during the course of 2013 — part of the motivation for changing the Student Network funding model was to allow students more flexibility (more devices, in more locations).
However, before we can do this we need to address some inherent assumptions in the underlying network design. This is an ongoing process that will continue during the course of 2013. It will take some time to complete, and is subject to the availability of staff to work on the project. Thus, at this stage, we're unable to predict when it's likely to be completed.
