On July 9, ITS expanded the UNC-Guest Wi-Fi network, enabling visitors to connect to Wi-Fi from more parts of campus. The expanded wireless network is more convenient for guests and streamlines operations for campus IT personnel.
Before the UNC-Guest expansion, guest Wi-Fi was deployed in select areas, usually at the request of a department. Now, it’s easy for visitors to know where they’ll be able to connect.
“If they are on campus and inside a campus building, they’re guaranteed wireless internet access,” said Ryan Turner, Director of ITS Networking.
Turner announced the plan earlier this year in the 2023 Networking Annual Report. “We hope this will improve and unify our guest experience and make administrative staff’s lives a little easier,” he said.
UNC-Guest expansion required lots of coordination
Wireless engineer John Valenti spearheaded the expansion project, which involved several steps and campus coordination. Valenti and the wireless team had to identify all the areas on campus that did not have guest wireless and then build wireless profiles. The team also had to identify the areas that could not have open guest access due to proximity of non-UNC office space.
Networking worked with other groups, such as coordinating with the School of Medicine and partnering with the Information Security Office to make configuration changes to guest Wi-Fi. These phased configuration changes restricted access to some University resources and websites. These changes strengthen the security of University resources, ensuring they are used for their intended purposes by their intended users.
The UNC-Guest expansion benefits not only visitors, but also staff who no longer need to request guest access or worry about visitor internet. Turner said that the only area where UNC-Guest Wi-Fi is not currently available is student housing, which is still under consideration. He added that he hopes the campus community will appreciate the improved service and convenience of the UNC-Guest Wi-Fi network.
Guest network for guest access
UNC-Guest is intended for temporary use by users with no affiliation with the University. The UNC-Guest network is public and unsecured, like Wi-Fi networks in coffee shops.
Current UNC students, faculty and staff should connect to non-guest wireless networks — eduroam or UNC-PSK — for full access to University resources.
Eduroam is the preferred network for UNC students, staff and faculty. It provides a secure and encrypted connection to the University’s resources and the internet. Visitors who are enrolled in eduroam with their home institutions are welcome to connect to eduroam at UNC.