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School of Pharmacy

UCSF School of Pharmacy

Wireless

This page describes how to connect to wireless at UCSF. There are 2 wireless networks. One is secure; the other is not secure.

If you send or receive unencrypted confidential data such as:

  • patient records
  • student records
  • employee records
  • logins or passwords

over the wireless network, you need to understand the information below and act accordingly to comply with federal and state laws and UCSF policy. If you permit such data to be exposed, you could be held personally responsible for fines, sent to prison, or subject to disciplinary action. Details: Information Security and About Privacy.

The table below describes the differences between the 2 networks.

Network Name

UCSFwpa

UCSFGuest

Introduced

February 2009

July 2010

Recommended for

Students, faculty, staff, and affiliated persons who have either of the following:

  • a UCSF MyAccess account
  • a UCSF Exchange email account (also known as Active Directory account or AD account)

Visitors and guests

Network Name

UCSFwpa

UCSFGuest

Is it secure?

Yes. UCSFwpa is a secure network, which means that your wireless activity is always encrypted and cannot be observed by others using the wireless network.

No. UCSFGuest is an insecure network, which means that your unencrypted wireless activity could be observed by others using the wireless network. Unencrypted wireless activity includes:

  • visiting URLs that begin with http (which is insecure) rather than https (which is secure)
  • sending or receiving email from a server over an insecure protocol such as POP without encryption or IMAP without encryption

If you want to use this network and if you have access to UCSF VPN, logging in to VPN and enabling its Network Connect feature will improve the security of your connection. (This is also true for any public, unencrypted wireless connection.)

More details: Breaking the Web's Cookie Jar.

Also, if your laptop does not have a properly working firewall, it is more susceptible to threats from any malicious persons using this guest network.

Network Name

UCSFwpa

UCSFGuest

Where does it work?

All UCSF wireless locations except:

  • Millberry Union Gymnasium

All UCSF wireless locations except:

You can find maps of where wireless is installed at UCSF Wireless Coverage Maps. Most (but not all) areas of Kalmanovitz Library have wireless coverage, but coverage maps for this building are currently unavailable. For questions about wireless coverage in Kalmanovitz Library, call 415/476-4309.

Wireless coverage is available in Millberry Union Gymnasium only by arrangement with the manager of that space. It is not the same as either of these 2 networks.

Network Name

UCSFwpa

UCSFGuest

How do I connect?

To connect, you need either of the following:

  • your MyAccess username and password
  • your UCSF Exchange email username and password (also known as your Active Directory username and password or AD username and password)

When you have either of these, follow the configuration instructions for your devices:

Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch

To determine your version of Mac OS, select About This Mac from the Apple menu.

Windows

Use the automatic setup first. If that fails, use the manual setup. To determine whether you have 64- or 32-bit Windows, see your System control panel.

Windows: automatic setup for 64-bit Windows
Windows: automatic setup for 32-bit Windows
Windows: manual setup

All other devices

See Need help? Report a problem? below.

In your list of available wireless networks, select the network called UCSFGuest. No configuration, login, or password is required. If UCSFGuest does not appear in a location that it should or if you have trouble connecting, see Need help? Report a problem? below.

Network Name

UCSFwpa

UCSFGuest

How fast is the wireless network?

As of October 2011, for both UCSFGuest and UCSFwpa, UCSF supports the 802.11g (54 Mbits/s) protocol in most areas and the 802.11n (600 Mbits/s) protocol in some areas. 802.11n support exists now in Kalmanovitz Library and is expected in other wireless locations in the future. UCSF is in the process of completing wireless access point upgrades at all campuses by March 2012. When this work is complete, we expect blanket coverage at 802.11n speeds as well as separate band coverage for 802.11g and 802.11b.

I'm using UCSFGuest but having connection problems with an application I'm using.

In compliance with UCSF policy, UCSFGuest provides a limited set of protocols that work for most needs. For details, see UCSFGuest Wireless Network. If you require a protocol not on the permitted list, do one or more of the following:

  • If you're a visitor or guest and you're part of an organization that provides its own VPN, use it after connecting to UCSFGuest.
  • If you're not a visitor or guest, you should be using UCSFwpa instead of UCSFGuest.

  • Send feedback to UCSF Customer Support:

Why is my device asking me to enter a password when I try to connect to wireless? Wireless used to work properly.

This is normal behavior if you're using UCSFwpa and you have recently changed your MyAccess or UCSF Exchange email password (also known as Active Directory password or AD password). After changing your password and when attempting to connect to wireless, your device will ask you to enter a password. The request is confusing because it does not tell you which password to use and because the act of connecting to wireless does not always take place immediately after you change your password, so it can be difficult to realize that the two are connected.

What password to enter: The password you should enter is your MyAccess password or your UCSF Exchange email password (also known as Active Directory password or AD password). If you can't remember which one you used, try one, and if that doesn't work, try the other. After you successfully enter a correct password, you'll again be connected to UCSFwpa.

Troubleshooting: If neither password works, separately confirm that your login and password is correct, remove the existing UCSF wireless configuration from your settings, then add it anew using the connection instructions above.

If you don't remember your MyAccess password or your UCSF Exchange email password (also known as Active Directory password or AD password), do one or both of the following:

  • MyAccess: Visit Forgot your password?
  • UCSF Exchange email (aka Active Directory): If you had previously set up a pwmanage profile, log in to pwmanage.ucsf.edu to unlock your account. Otherwise, contact UCSF Customer Support at 415/514-4100 Option 3 (available 24×7).

About using wireless elsewhere

UCSF students, faculty, staff, and affiliates: When using wireless at locations other than UCSF and your home, the wireless network provided is typically insecure, similar to UCSFGuest above. To comply with federal and state laws and UCSF policy, you must ensure that confidential data is encrypted. If you're not certain that your connection is encrypted, do either of the following:

  • Ask someone. Students: contact your program's administrative office. Faculty, staff, and affiliates: ask your computer support coordinator (CSC). If you don't have a CSC, ask your supervisor.
  • Use VPN: Log in to UCSF VPN and select the Network Connect feature. This ensures that all data entering and leaving your computer travels via the UCSF network, which UCSF considers to be safer than if the confidential data traveled unencrypted on any guest wireless network.

More details: Breaking the Web's Cookie Jar.

If you're not in campus housing and you're using wireless at home, you must configure your wireless network with WPA2 or WPA encryption to comply with UCSF policy. If you're uncertain about how to do this or how to confirm it, ask a knowledgeable friend or contact your internet service provider or the vendor of your wireless access point.

Need help? Report a problem?

To report or resolve problems with campus wireless, do either of the following:

  1. Visit the Technology Commons at Kalmanovitz Library CL240 during library hours, and a staff member can assist you. Map of the 2nd floor.

  2. Contact UCSF Customer Support:

To report information on this page that is incorrect, contact Web & Data Services Manager Frank Farm (415/502-5372, farmf@pharmacy.ucsf.edu).

Related topic

Go to: Computer Services

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