Thanks to the Student Technology Fee, MU now provides wireless networking in selected public places on campus indicated by the logo to the right.

What do I need?

You'll need your my'VILLE account and password, a wireless enabled computer or handheld using the 802.11 "b" or "g" wireless standard and a current web browser. Internet Explorer, Netscape, Safari and other browsers should all work.

What is 802.11b?

It is a widely-used standard that establishes the rules for wireless networking. It is supported on many different computing platforms, including Macs, PCs and many handheld devices.

What can I do with wireless?

You can do just about anything that you can do with a wired network connection.

What does it take to get me set up for wireless?

If you have a PC laptop without built-in wireless, you will need to get a PCMCIA or USB wireless networking device. If you have a newer Macintosh laptop it probably has built-in wireless. If not, you should consider purchasing an Airport card, which you can install in your computer. If your handheld device has a compact flash slot in it, you can use a compact flash wireless networking card.

What brand should I get?

There are a lot of different brands. We won’t tell you which one to buy, but we have had good luck with Netgear wireless cards. Other brands will work as well. As with many other things, it’s always best to go with a manufacturer that offers good online technical support.

I don't have a laptop, can I use the wireless network?

Even if you don't have a laptop, you can still take advantage of this service. Laptops are available to borrow from the Ganser Library's circulation desk. Computers can be borrowed for up to four hours at a time, and can be taken anywhere on campus.

How do I use it?

When you install your wireless card, use the default network settings. This enables DHCP, which allows the network to assign things like your network address for you. Also, you need to disable any pop-up blockers that are running on your laptop.

After installation, if you are near a wireless access point, the card should automatically locate it. If you see blinking lights on the wireless card, this usually means you have network activity. You should be ready to go. However, on some cards the blinking lights may blink in specific patterns to help troubleshoot problems. Open a web browser and you should be directed to the Wireless Access page. Enter your my'VILLE account and password. For security, if you do not use your wireless connection for 15 minutes or if the network is not able to detect your computer for three minutes, you will be logged off the wireless network.

Who do I call it I need help?

If you need help with wireless, please contact SafetyNET located in the Boyer Building at 871-5887 or safetynet@millersville.edu.

That’s cool, but why isn't wireless everywhere?

We are working on that. The Information Technology Division strives to serve students in the best manner possible and is constantly working on new ideas. We currently have a multi-year plan to roll out wireless to new locations on campus. The plan is to deploy it in a way that can be easily maintained and offer all of us networking security from malicious hackers.

Where is wireless now?

You can find a complete list of wireless locations on campus here!