UW–Madison provides 2 primary wireless access methods for people on campus. While you’re probably familiar with logging on to UWNet, there is an even safer way to use the internet on campus: eduroam.
The eduroam service is a secure, world-wide roaming wireless access developed for the international research and education community. It allows students, researchers and staff from participating institutions, like universities, to connect to the internet across all participating campuses around the world by simply opening their laptop or mobile device.
Additionally, eduroam is an encrypted network, unlike UWNet, making it much more secure. No one can see what sites you’re visiting with eduroam, while with UWNet, your internet traffic is more accessible.
“When using eduroam, it reduces the likelihood of surveillance on your internet activity,” says Dennis Lange, campus network manager for Network Services with UW–Madison’s Division of Information Technology (DoIT). “Your information—like passwords, bank accounts and credit cards—is just safer when using the eduroam network.”
Many newcomers to campus use UWNet because the initial registration process is easier. However, UWNet times out your access after 160 days, causing wireless access interruptions and confusion for internet users. Once eduroam is installed, your wireless access is seamless across all institutions that use the service.
“Eduroam is standard across the higher ed landscape in the United States, Europe, and at educational institutions in other countries,” Lange said.
Connecting to eduroam
There are a few extra steps to connect to eduroam, but the authenticated service is worth the time. After you download the installer, it will automatically detect your operating system. Then log in with NetID@wisc.edu and your password. You can download the software here.
More information about eduroam and how to use it is available in the Knowledgebase article: “Accessing eduroam.”
Since UW–Madison is a partner, the eduroam service is available to all faculty, staff and students. You can also use it at any other institution that uses eduroam. To log in in to other eduroam networks outside of UW, use your NetID@institution.com and your NetID password.
If you’d like a static IP address or need to connect a device without a web browser, please go to the Network Access Management page to get started. If you have questions about eduroam, please reach out to the DoIT Help Desk for assistance.