Fix your wifi connection

If you cannot connect to the University wifi, you may be able to fix the problem.

You can:

• run through the eduroam troubleshooting checklist
• read the UniOfCam-Guest wifi troubleshooting checklist
• check the known issues
• get help from the IT Service Desk

What to check if you cannot connect to eduroam wifi

1. Make sure your institution has the University wireless service

Check which institutions have University Wireless coverage. Some Colleges prefer to run their own wifi systems. Contact your local IT support for advice.
 

2. Check you've followed the instructions

It's always worth running through the eduroam set-up instructions again to make sure you haven't missed anything. Make sure you have entered your passwords correctly. Don't forget that the password for the Network Access Token is different from your University account password (formerly Raven).
 

3. Turn it off and on again

Restarting your device may solve any connection issues you're having.

4. Try removing the eduroam profile and reinstalling

Windows 10

1. Click the Wireless Icon in the system tray
2. Select 'Network & Internet settings'
3. Select 'Wi-Fi'
4. Pick 'Manage Known Networks'
5. Select 'eduroam' and pick 'Forget' from the options

Windows 11

1. Click the Wireless Icon in the system tray
2. Select 'Manage WiFi connections' (chevron icon next to wifi)
3. Select 'More wifi settings'
4. Select 'eduroam' and pick 'Forget' from the options

macOS

1. Go to 'System Setting'  then 'Privacy & Security'.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and select 'Profiles'.
3. Select the eduroam profile and then select the minus button ( -) at the bottom of the screen. Select 'Remove'.

iPhone

Go to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management. Select eduroam underneath 'Configuration Profile' and then select 'Remove Profile'.

5. Update your operating system and wireless drivers

Make sure you're using the latest version of your device's operating system, with all the updates and patches installed.
Please note that version 22H2 on Windows 10 and 11 has known issues with Wi-Fi connectivity. To resolve this please ensure that you install all the latest Windows Updates (note that this may be labelled an optional update so will have to be selected manually). For Windows 11, update to 23H2 or later.

If you're using a laptop or desktop PC with an operating system that has wireless drivers you can update, such as Windows or Linux, make sure they're up to date. For Windows, find out how to update your wireless wifi driver. Please also see the advice about older devices that do not support the latest 802.11 wifi standards for further information about updating your device.

6. Ensure your device obtains an IP address automatically

University Wireless requires your device to be set to obtain an IP address automatically using automated Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). Ensure this is enabled on your device, for example, here are instructions for Windows 10. You should be able to find instructions for device by searching online.
 

7. Ensure MAC address randomisation or rotation is switched off

Some devices offer randomised or rotated MAC addresses as a privacy feature. You'll need to ensure this is switched off to use UniOfCam-IoT, as it isn't supported. It's also useful to turn this off when using eduroam because it will enable us to track and diagnose your issue more easily.

You can find online advice on how to check and disable this option for your device – for example, Apple has instructions on how to turn off private networks on iOS devices.
 

8. Narrow down the issue

A process of elimination can often help you to diagnose the problem. If it doesn't help you solve it, it will provide valuable information for your IT support staff.

For example:

• Are you experiencing the same problem on multiple devices or just one?
• If some are working and some aren't, what are the differences between them?
• If it fails on more than one device, does it fail in the same way?
• Does the problem occur everywhere or in a specific location?

What to check if you cannot connect to UniOfCam-Guest wifi

Please note: if you have a device that is more than 5 years old, it may not be compatible with the technology we use to run the UniOfCam-Guest wifi network. 

1. Turn it off and on again

Restarting your device may solve any connection issues you're having.

2. Visit an HTTP website if you do not see the login screen

Visiting an HTTP website in a web browser should force the Guest login page to appear. Most websites are encrypted and use HTTPS. Some HTTP sites have been created to force login pages to appear. Try http://neverssl.com or http://httpforever.com.

3. Make sure your software is up to date

Make sure you're using the latest version of your device's operating system, with all the updates and patches installed.

4. Ensure you have confirmed your email address (if you registered by email)

You will need to select 'Confirm' in the confirmation email to verify your account and receive full internet access.  If you do not confirm your email address, you will lose your connection to the UniOfCam-Guest wifi after 10 minutes.

Known issues

• Your software blocks access to the network
• Your device is older than 5 years
• You have an old devices that do not support 802.11 wifi standards
• You have a device that is not allowed to connect to eduroam
• You are using a device that is not compatible with AirGroup and eduroam or UniOfCam-IoT
• Internet Explorer or Edge reports that the eduroam CAT file is corrupt
• You see a warning that Windows SmartScreen cannot be reached

Software blocks access to the network

Some software generates excessive Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) scanning traffic on the network, which can cause your device to be banned from accessing the University Wireless system for a while.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• AVG Antivirus with 'scan local networks' enabled (default). To resolve: Turn 'scan local networks' off.
• Avast Antivirus
• 360 Total Security
• Fing (network scanning software)
• Lenovo Wi-Fi Security, Lenovo Vantage and Lenovo Location Services
• McAfee Antivirus software
• Software on Xiaomi devices (often antivirus or network software)
• Software on OnePlus devices (often antivirus or network software)
• Software on Huawei devices (often antivirus or network software)
• ESET smart security and ESET Network Scan
• Wi-Fi scanning software and apps

If your antivirus software is blocking access to the network then we recommend downloading the free University antivirus software. This does not block the University network. 

You can try temporarily switching off other software while you are setting up wifi.

Devices older than 5 years

We can support mainstream devices that are less than 5 years old, and will do our best to troubleshoot other devices but this is not always possible. Unfortunately, we're not able to provide support for some Linux devices.

Old devices that do not support the latest 802.11 wifi standards

Some old devices do not support the 802.11r protocol, which eduroam uses to help with roaming from one access point to another. Updating your software and drivers may help in this case.

If your device cannot support 802.1x, which eduroam uses for authentication, you will need to use UniOfCam-IoT. 

Some Dell laptops with Intel 802.11ac wireless network cards cannot connect to 802.11ax wireless access points, which we are deploying in some areas of the University. You can manually update your wifi driver to resolve this issue.

Some other devices may also have issues with the newest 802.11ax access points. To resolve this you may need to determine the manufacturer of your wireless card inside your laptop, which can be different from the laptop manufacturer. You may then need to update the drivers directly from their website instead of Windows Update or from the laptops manufacturer. The most common makers of wireless cards for laptops are Intel and Broadcom.
 

Devices that you cannot use

Devices such as wireless extenders, bridges and routers are not allowed to connect to the Wireless Service. Connecting these types of devices could affect the service for others.
 

Limitations of UniOfCam-IoT and AirGroup

AirGroup helps your devices to discover and communicate with each other on the network – for example, it would allow you to use Airplay between Apple devices. However, as with every complicated technology there are some devices and software that are not compatible:

• Chromecast NC2-6A5 Generation 2 and below and Generation 3 using the model code NC2-6A5 will not work on UniOfCam-IoT due to the age of the supporting hardware and the software.
• Media streaming from Windows Media Server does not work across different SSIDs. For example, eduroam and UniOfCam-IoT.
• Some Android devices cannot discover the media server while using the native music and video player applications and when they are connected across different SSIDs. For example, eduroam and UniOfCam-IoT. Android devices can discover media server when they are connected on the same SSID. This restriction is forced by the device.
• Wireless Clients such as iPad and iPhone running the Sonos application cannot discover Sonos music system.
• Playstation 4 (PS4) owners are recommended to turn off AirGroup as all PS4s on the network are discoverable with the Playstation mobile app. This will mean the app will not work, but will help protect your device.

Internet Explorer or Edge reports that the eduroam CAT file is corrupt

Please download and save the eduroam CAT file, and then run it from your usual download folder instead.

Warning that Windows SmartScreen cannot be reached

You may see this message on Windows 10, if you are disconnected from the network, when you try and install the CAT. We recommend that you connect to the network via a cable or the UniOfCam-Guest service, before doing this. If you cannot connect in another way, you should select "Run anyway".

Getting help

If you've considered all of the above and are still encountering problems, seek help from your local IT support team in the first instance.

It will help IT staff to resolve your issue if you're ready to provide the following information:

• The time and date of when you experienced the issue
• Where you were when it happened
• Which device you were using, including operating system, make and model and, if you know how to find it, its MAC address
• Which network you were trying to use, for example, eduroam or UniOfCam-IoT
• Which user name you were signing in with
• Details on what happened. For example:
• Could your device detect the wifi network?
• Were you able to connect but not load anything, or couldn't you connect at all?
• Did you see any error messages? What did they say?

 Contact the Service Desk.