This article describes how to configure the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch mobile internet devices to connect to our secure wireless Internet connection in such a way that it stores your credentials on your device. You will no longer have to authenticate via the web interface (Cisco Web Authentication page) to gain wireless access while on campus. This is now the preferred wireless network to use on campus as it is more secure and easier to use once configured.
- An Apple iPod touch or iPhone (original or 3G) that has the 2.0 or later firmware loaded (early iPod Touches are a paid upgrade to get the 2.0 software).
- Access to the wireless network available on the PSU Campus (i.e., you must be on campus).
- A PSU computer account:
- Odin account - the primary student, faculty or staff computer accounts used on campus.
- Sponsored account - for long-term guests, lecturers, contractors, etc to offer temporary access to PSU computing resources.
- Guest wireless account - a short-term, wireless-access only account.
- On your device, hit the Home button if you are not already on the Home screen.
- Choose Settings.
- Choose Wi-Fi. After a moment a list of available networks will populate the screen
- Choose PSU Secure.
- You will now be prompted for your Odin username and password, enter these and hit the Join button. Be careful to type your password correctly as you can only see one previous letter at a time and it is case-sensitive.
- After a few seconds, it will pop up a request to accept a certificate, touch Accept.
- Your username and password will now be saved and you should be joined to our secure wireless network and be able to browse the internet, use Mail or Safari to test your connection.
- After step 6 the iPhone has a tendency to hang while reporting "Joining 'PSU Secure'..." If this happens, simply hit the home button, and start over from step 1. You should only have to do this once if at all.
- If you have problems with this setup, first check to make sure all other PSU wireless connections have been "forgotten." To forget a wireless network: start by going to Settings, then Wi-fi and click the small blue arrow next to any old PSU networks you have tried using in the past (ex. PSU General, PSU Faculty and Staff, PSU PDA), and touch the Forget this network button. Repeat this process for any PSU networks you have attempted to use in the past.
- In some cases, we have seen the initial joining to the network to be a bit finicky; try "Forgetting" the 'PSU Secure' network and repeat the directions in this article.
- If while attempting to connect, the little spinning wheel does not stop, hit the home button, then immediately go back to Settings, Wi-fi and click PSU Secure and it should work fine.
- As long as you have "Forgotten" all other PSU wireless networks (see above), it should always auto-join the PSU Secure network, and you will not need to authenticate (login) past the initial Odin account username and password you provided during setup. (See Troubleshooting for directions to "Forget" a network)
- We recently changed the names of our wireless networks. See this article for more details on these changes.
- Using our secure wireless networks is now the preferred method for connecting mobile wireless devices to the campus wireless network. We are investigating possible configurations for other devices (i.e. Blackberries, Windows Mobile, Palm) and hope to have configuration instructions for these devices in the future.
- PSU Secure uses 802.1x-based authentication and encryption techniques. Specifically, these networks authenticate using PEAP and encrypt your communications using WPA2 Enterprise (by default). Using this network secures data sent "over-the-air" so that people in your same vicinity can not avesdrop on your communications. This DOES NOT protect you from malicious websites you may visit, virus infections, or direct attacks against your computer, it makes it difficult to "read" what you are sending and receiving by other wireless users in your immediate physical location. Once your communication "hits-the-wire" and goes out on the Internet, it is no longer encrypted. One of the biggest advantages of this network is the reduction of potential attack "vectors" a hacker can use to compromise your computer.
If you have any problems with this we highly recommend that you bring the device to the Help Desk in Smith Memorial Student Union room 18 so that a technician can do hands-on troubleshooting with the PSU wireless networks available and the device in front of them. You can also call the Help Desk at 503.725.HELP or email help@pdx.edu for answers to general questions about the network, its operation, and use.
