Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Currently there are three official wireless networks you will see broadcast on campus. Those three networks are.

  • eduroam
    • Use this network if you have a UCCS username and password or you are visiting from an eduroam-participating institution. If you are visiting from another institution, you will use your home institution username and password.
    • eduroam (education roaming) is the secure, world-wide roaming access service developed for the international research and education community. eduroam allows students, researchers and staff from participating institutions to obtain Internet connectivity across campus and when visiting other participating institutions.
    • For detailed information visit our eduroam KB articles.
  • UCCS-Guest
    • Use this network if you do not have a UCCS username and password
    • This network is unsecured, and traffic is not encrypted.
    • This open (unsecure) wireless network is similar to your wireless experience at a coffee shop. This network does not provide full access. It offers basic http and https access (for general web browsing), but does not offer access to on-campus resources such as Columbia or Enterprise drives. Advanced functionality is limited (some ports and applications are blocked). For detailed information visit our UCCS-Guest KB articles.
    • If you are a guest and would like to use our secure and encrypted wireless network (UCCS-Wireless) you can request a Guest Account. This guest account will provide you a temporary username and password that you can use to join the UCCS-Wireless network. For detailed information visit our Requesting a Guest Account KB articles.
  • UCCS-Wireless
    • As of January 2023, UCCS-Wireless is deprecated. All users who use UCCS-Wireless are instead suggested to use eduroam.
    • This secure network encrypts your traffic, which is preferred if you are logging into sites with passwords or working with sensitive or personal data.  This network requires a username and password to join. For detailed information visit our UCCS-Wireless KB articles.

Yes you can! UCCS is an active and participating institute with the eduroam network. If you are visiting from a participating institute, you can connect to the eduroam wireless network found on campus. You will use your home institution username and password when authenticating to the eduroam wireless network here on campus. For more information about connecting to this network, visit our eduroam KB article.

Nearly every building on campus will have indoor coverage. This includes academic buildings, administrative buildings, the library, the rec center, residence halls and apartments, etc. Outdoor coverage exists in many areas as well, mainly along the pedestrian spine from the Rec Center all the way to Cragmor Hall. Outdoor coverage also exists in other places on campus.

Parking garages and parking lots are not officially covered... however, if you are in close proximity of other access points, you may or may not have signal in some of these areas depending where you are parked.

For more information about wireless coverage, including coverage maps of both indoor and outdoor access, please visit our Wireless Coverage page.

The quick answer: Most standard/common wireless devices (laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc...) should be able to connect to the wireless networks on campus.

The detailed answer: For detailed information on required device types, adapters, authentication and encryption requirements, operating systems, etc... please visit our System Requirements page.

Every network adapter of a device (for example: a wired adapter for wired connections; or a wireless adapter for wireless connections) has a unique MAC address that it uses to identify itself to the networks it connects to. MAC stands for "media access control." (Your network adapters help control your devices access to the network.)

MAC addresses can be referred to by many names, including: physical address, hardware address, ethernet address, wifi address, etc.

Here is an example of what a MAC address looks like:  a6:21:c3:31:f3:60

They can also use dash (-) or dot (.) formats and may look like this: a6-21-c3-31-f3-60 or a621.c331.f360

A wireless adapter will have its own MAC address, and a wired port will also have its own MAC address. So be sure you are looking for the correct MAC address depending on your connection type (wired or wireless).

Need to find the mac address of your device? Visit our KB page which offers help on how to do this for many different device types.

There are many ways to get help!

  • Call the Service Desk at 719-255-HELP (4357)
  • Email the Service Desk at helpdesk@uccs.edu
  • Visit the Service Desk in person at EPC 108 (ground level of the El Pomar Center)
  • Even more options can be found at www.uccs.edu/oit/get-help

Installation of your own wireless router or wireless access point is prohibited. Campus policy prohibits users from installing their own wireless routers and access points for a variety of reasons, including but no limited to: security, network congestion, interference, and others.

Should you temporarily need to set up a wireless router for the purpose of a class project or other related scenario, you may submit a request to OIT for approval. To submit a request, visit ithelp.uccs.edu/cherwellportal/it and under the Wireless menu, click Wireless Access Point Request.

 

Policy Title: Wireless Networks
Policy Number: 700-004
Policy Functional Area: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Section II,C,3,a states: The University of Colorado Colorado Spring’s Information Technology Department (IT) will be solely responsible for the deployment and management of 802.11 and related wireless equipment on the campus. No other departments may deploy 802.11 or related-wireless equipment without coordination with IT.

Additional policy information can be found below...

If you believe there is a wireless network outage, or a coverage gap exists in a location you expect there to be wireless, please contact our Service Desk for support.

Many things could be causing your device to have a slow connection, including but not limited to...

  • Your distance from an access point; or objects between you and the access point are hindering the signal (walls, books shelves, stair cases, elevator shafts, etc...).
  • Your device is using an older or slower technology to connect to wireless (visit our Requirements page for more info).
  • Your device drivers are not up to date (our Service Desk can help you confirm this).
  • You are encountering interference in your area (could be caused by microwaves, bluetooth devices, other wireless devices in your area, etc.).
  • The access point you are connected to has many other users also connected to it.

The wireless team is constantly trying to improve the wireless experience on campus. We do this in many different ways, including but not limited to...

  • Upgrading and maintaining the current wireless network infrastructure.
  • Installing new infrastructure to close coverage gaps and create coverage in previously void areas.
  • Troubleshoot and resolve reported wireless issues across campus.
  • Research and implement the latest wireless standards to keep up with industry norms.
    • This includes areas such as security, authentication, encryption, Wi-Fi alliance standards, etc...
  • Research and test new ways to provide better wireless service. Examples include...
    • Beta testing wireless access points on shuttle buses.
    • Performing site surveys to discover and address coverage gaps.
  • Elicit feedback from you, the users!

Guests to the campus (such as parents or contractors) should first connect to the UCCS-Guest wireless network. Once connected, a web page should pop up providing you with various options for guest access. If a web page does not automatically pop up, simply launch a web browser of your choice.

If you are visiting from another higher-ed institute who participates in eduroam, you can connect to the eduroam network.

Wireless networks operate on two main bands: 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. Early in its implementation wireless started on 2.4Ghz. Later implementations which are better and faster, utilize the 5Ghz band. However even today there are still many legacy devices on our networks, and even many new devices still use the 2.4Ghz band.

Unfortunately, many other devices also use the 2.4Ghz band and this can cause interference issues (leading to performance issues) on wireless networks. Devices such as cordless phones, bluetooth devices, and microwave ovens can cause interference with wireless devices and wireless access points on the 2.4Ghz band. Even two nearby wireless access points who are broadcasting on the same channels can interfere with one another. This is one of the reasons we do not allow personal access points to be installed on campus by users - they create additional interference to the official UCCS wireless networks. Many streaming devices, such as a Roku, have remote controls which have (unfortunately) been designed to also work on these wireless bands and can cause interference.

To help combat the interference issue, we suggest the following...

  • Use the 5Ghz band, which means using an 802.11AC, 802.11A, or 802.11N wireless adapter. (note some 802.11N adapters work on 2.4Ghz as well). Most new devices ship with these newer adapters. However if you have an older laptop with an older built-in adapter, you can buy a newer USB wireless adapter that uses one of the newer standards on the the 5Ghz band.