Wireless access may become available in more places on campus

Southeast Missouri State University is in the process of adding 500 or more wireless access points around campus so that students can have the ability to use their devices anywhere.

Installing Wi-Fi will allow Internet access for students, faculty and staff who need to use it throughout the day.

The Information Technology department is almost done installing wireless access points in Cheney Hall with new Hewlett-Packard equipment, and plans to install more wireless systems in the other residence halls.

"Having wireless access points brings mobility, and it's better being hooked up through wireless rather than through a fixed connection," said Archie Sprengel, assistant vice president of Information Technology.

Information Technology is developing an improved Wi-Fi system like wireless broadband, which uses wireless Internet/Network access through a local area network, transmitting signals using radio waves without the use of wires.

"Our goal is to have all of the wireless access points activated before the start of the new 2012-2013 academic year in all of the residence halls throughout the campus," Sprengel said. "There is an infrastructure in place, and it's very sophisticated, but we're just waiting on the rest of the equipment to be sent to us."

Bringing new equipment into all of the residence halls will allow students to stream Internet in their rooms without an Ethernet cable.

"I think it's great that Information Technology is installing new Wi-Fi points because we won't have to find a particular spot that works, and we won't have to walk all through campus to get to certain buildings," Southeast junior Nicole Catanzano said. "It's nice that it won't have to be a struggle when trying to get on the new wireless network around campus whether it's on our computers or handheld device for students."

Students will still need to sign in using their Southeast login ID and password.

"I want to make sure that students understand that when using computers in only the classroom buildings make sure that you're connected to the Southeast Secure Network and not the Southeast Network," Sprengel said. "Students should be connected to Southeast Secure Network because it's our new improved system rather than using the older Wi-Fi system that we want to get away from."

For help connecting to the Southeast Secure Network, students can get directions at semo.edu/helpdesk or 573-651-4357.