Wireless Network Access

Updates: University Technology is in the middle of a 2 year project to provide 100% wireless coverage in all buildings on campus by Fall 2012.  Currently, all classrooms and most residence halls have been brought online, many with 802.11n speeds!   Please see Locations to see if your building is currently active.

• About the Network
• How To Get Started
• Minimum Requirements
• Locations with Wireless Network Access
• Access for Visitors & Guests - Do it yourself method for Faculty and Staff
• Privacy & Security
• Obtain the lesley_secured WPA security key!

About the Network

About the Network

The wireless network at Lesley is a centrally managed wireless network that offers a/b/g/n* connectivity to users in many locations across all four campuses. We offer both secured and unsecured wireless environments for the convenience of our students, faculty, and staff. All networks require a Lesley username and password to gain access.

*n radio service is only available in residence halls at this time.

Usage

The wireless network in the residence halls is intended as an enhancement, not a replacement of the high speed hardwired networking infrastructure already in place for students.  Usage is limited to web browsing, instant messaging, mylesley, and other web services commonly used for furthering their education while here. Gaming, bittorrent, peer to peer filesharing, video streaming and other high bandwidth services are not supported and at times are actively blocked on the wireless.  This is to ensure the quality and useability of basic wireless access for all students at all times.  Students needing to use services not supported by the wireless (such as gaming) should plug into the hardwired internet port in their room.

Available Networks:

• lesley_wireless: This is a standard, unsecured wireless network for casual use. When you first log in, your username and password are encrypted, but all other information will pass unsecured across the network, in plain text unless encrypted by the individual site.  If you plan to do anything of a sensitive nature, we recommend using the lesley_secured instead.
• lesley_secured, lesley_beacon*, lesley_newbury*: These networks use WPA encryption to provide a higher degree of security and require an additional network key/password for access. If there is a chance you may be passing information that should be kept private, you should use this network. Click here to get the lesley_secured network key/password. (you must be accessing the internet from on campus to get the key.)

*lesley_beacon is and lesley_newbury are only available on our Boston Campus

Printing

It is NOT possible at this time to print from your computer on the wireless network to a printer in your office or classroom. If you need to print please use the hardwired connection in your office.

How To Get Started

There are three simple steps to getting started using the Lesley wireless network:

1. Make Sure Your Computer Is Within Range of a Lesley Wireless Access Point. Because Lesley University is located in an urban environment, there could be multiple wireless networks within range of your computer. Please be sure you are accessing one of Lesley University's wireless networks.
2. Activate Your Wireless Card. Many laptops now have a physical button or function key to control your wireless card. If you are unsure how to activate or turn on your wireless or Airport card, refer to the documentation that came with your computer for information.
3. Connect to the Lesley Wireless Network.
   • If you are on the Porter, Doble, or Brattle campuses, connect to the unsecured lesley_wireless, or the WPA encrypted lesley_secured. You will need a valid Lesley University username and password, and the WPA network key for the lesley_secured.
   • If you are on the Boston/AIB campus, connect to lesley_beacon or lesley_newbury. You will need a valid Lesley username and password, as well as the WPA network key to connect.

Minimum Requirements

To use the Lesley Wireless Network, the following are required:

• You must be in a location that currently has one of the Lesley wireless networks, and receiving a reasonably good signal.
• A Macintosh or Windows laptop computer with a wireless Ethernet card that supports one of the 802.11a/b/g/n standards. The card may be built into the laptop or an external card that plugs into the laptop.
• Your Lesley University username and password.
• If you are connecting to the lesley_secured network:
  • your computer must be running an operating system that supports WPA encryption - on Windows computer you need XP SP2 or higher, on a Macintosh computer you should have OS 10.3 or higher; and
  • you will need the network key/password FIRST to connect.

Locations with Wireless Network Access

Signal strength in each location is adequate to provide access at any point within the room. However, there are factors that may occasionally interfere with the functioning of the network. Please report any problems you may have to University Technology by phone at 617.349.8770 or by email at ut@lesley.edu.

Cambridge Campus

• Stebbins Hall
• University Hall: Classroom floors and Lower Level
• Student Center
• Wolfard classrooms
• Doble Offices, classrooms, and conference rooms
• Most Residence Halls

*White Hall and Everett House are scheduled to come online by 10/2011

Boston Campus

• 700 Beacon Street
• 601 Newbury Street

Brattle Campus

• Ludcke Library at Sherrill Hall
• Washburn
• Hodges

Wireless networking and personal wireless network devices are not intended, supported, or allowed in the Residence Halls or in Lesley administrative and faculty offices.

Access for Visitors & Guests

Any Lesley faculty or staff member may sponsor a guest a temporary user name by using the form on our Guest Account Creation page (accessible from on campus only.) Only one guest account a day may be issued per Lesley employee and lasts for seven days. Once an account has been issued, the guest will still need to configure his or her computer to access the wireless network, as described above.

Privacy & Security

By its very nature, a wireless network is not as private and secure as the wired network we have in our offices, labs, and residence halls. The information you send across the wireless network travels through the air as radio waves and may be intercepted by anyone with the right tools.

University Technology has taken measures to ensure a reasonable level of security and provide some privacy without making it difficult to use the wireless network. However, it is still up to each individual to protect themselves and their personal information.

To protect your privacy, we suggest you do not use the lesley_wireless network to pass personal information. After you register on the network, you should avoid sending any other login names and passwords and you should avoid conducting any personal business such as banking.

Faculty and staff are responsible for the secure handling of any protected information relating to students or University business. Please avoid using the wireless network to send sensitive information by email, and do not use Lesley's online information services (LOIS) or Colleague while on the unencrypted lesley_wireless network. Get the password for the lesley_secured wireless network.