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Wireless networking at Yale
Description
Wireless network service enables devices with wireless capability to connect to a wireless network without plugging into a network jack. Wireless networks provide a lower level of security than wired networks. In order to access the network, you will need a wireless PC card LAN adapter for your laptop computer and an available PC card slot on the computer. Cards are available for personal or Yale Departmental purchase from via the Yale ePortal purchasing system.
Public Access Points: Yale Wireless Network
The Yale wireless network is maintained by ITS for general use. These public access points, which are part of the Yale wireless network, are established and maintained by ITS.
On the medical campus
To protect sensitive data and communications from access by unauthorized individuals, ITS requires a level of security called Virtual Private Network (VPN) when accessing the Yale wireless network on the medical campus. VPN which encrypts all traffic between a wireless computing device and the campus network.
On central campus
Altough VPN is not required for access to the Yale wireless network on central campus, the connecting device (i.e. computer or PDA) needs to be registered with ITS.
Private Access Points at Yale
Clients may install "private" wireless access points (WAPs) that are not part of the Yale wireless network, but they must be registered with ITS and meet ITS security policies, standards, and guidelines. There are special security requirements for private access points on the Medical campus. Improperly configured devices can cause serious harm to both the wired and wireless network, and negatively impact network services for other clients. Unregistered WAPs can be particularly damaging because they are difficult to locate and may not display any signs of malfunction to clients using these devices. We may disconnect access points not meeting this requirement after appropriate notice.
Eligibility
All Yale students, faculty, and staff may use the Yale wireless network. The Yale campus wireless service requires the connecting device be registered with ITS.
Support
Current limitations of wireless networking
Unlike the wired network, current wireless technology does not provide dedicated bandwidth for each computer. The bandwidth (speed) of a wireless network connection is lower than that of a wired network connection (10 - 100 megabit). Performance may further be impacted by the number of users within a given wireless coverage area, as well as your computer's distance from the closest wireless transceiver (or Wireless Access Point, WAP). Wireless networks therefore do not currently provide the same level of performance or consistency as a wired network. While wireless networking has been found to be acceptable for email, many applications and some web browsing, it may not be suitable for applications and web sites that have high band-width requirements (such as video/audio streaming and access to University financial applications) or large file transfers.
Wireless networks also provide a lower level of security than wired networks unless specific measures are taken to ensure security. In order to help ensure the security of information transmitted over the wireless network, the School of Medicine requires the use of a VPN connection. Clients should also ensure their individual computing devices are securely configured.
Finally, when buildings throughout the School of Medicine are designated as being enabled with wireless networking capability, this may not always guarantee that wireless network access will be available or perform well from every possible location within a given building. While every effort is made during installation to provide comprehensive coverage within each building, many factors can interfere with wireless network signal strength and/or its availability. The most common factor is the core structural design of the building itself. Water supply lines and steel elements within the walls may impair the signal. Other factors specific to certain lab or office areas (such as large steel bookcases, book stacks, and a large number of people) may also interfere with wireless signal strength or availability.
Faculty & staff
Contact your local support provider.
Students
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Central campus
Student techs will provide the first line of support. They will attempt to resolve laptop problems and will report network failures or performance issues to ITS Data Network Operations (DNO). DNO will resolve such problems as soon as possible with the caveats that any simultaneous problems with the wired network will take precedence and we may need or want to perform extended testing before returning the network to service. - Medical campus
