Northern Illinois University

Information Technology Services

Wireless Information

NIU uses 802.11b and 802.11g for wireless access points. The VPN wireless network is secured with Virtual Private Networking.

Requirements

  • NIU Z-ID / AccountID and password
  • 802.11b compliant wireless card

Wireless Card Configuration

The wireless card needs two settings:

  • DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)

    The wireless card must be configured to use DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), which allows the network to automatically assign the wireless adapter an IP address. By default, the wireless adapter should be set to DHCP in Windows XP and most other operating systems.

  • Access Point Association

    The wireless network adapter must be associated with an access point. A set of utilities built in to the operating system or provided with the card can associate the wireless adapter to an access point.

Accessing NIUNet and the Internet

  1. Go to a connection location.
  2. Associate the wireless adapter to the access point. The instructions for this will vary depending on the operating system and card's wireless utilities. All NIUnet access points are named after the building where they reside.
  3. Configure the PPTP VPN Client or install the NIUNet VPN Client (Skip this step if you have already installed or configured the VPN client for NIUNet wireless.)
  4. Launch the VPN client. See client specific documentation in the VPN section.
  5. Connect with the VPN client. See client specific documentation in the VPN section.
  6. Provide your Z-ID / AccountID and password.