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IT Help and Support

University Information Services
 

You can connect personal devices that cannot connect to eduroam wifi via the UniOfCam-IoT service.

Which devices can I connect to UniOfCam-IoT?

This service is for personal devices such as:

  • media streaming devices like Apple TV
  • virtual assistants such as Amazon Alexa
  • smart speakers like Amazon Echo or Google Home
  • streaming media adapters such as Chromecasts
  • equipment such as printers

It's for devices like these that can't be set up on eduroam, but can accept a wifi password. They also need to be able to support WPA2-PSK with AES encryption. If in doubt, refer to the instructions provided by your device's manufacturer.

 

Who can use UniOfCam-IoT

The service is designed for staff and students to use with personal devices in College and University buildings. It's not intended for devices that are shared by lots of people in an institution, like a shared office printer, or infrastructure devices like a building management system.

If your device works with eduroam, we strongly encourage you to use this because you'll be able to connect to eduroam wifi automatically around Cambridge and when visiting participating institutions around the world. A connection on eduroam also has better security.

The service is subject to the University Data Network's terms and conditions.
 

Where can I use UniOfCam-IoT?

This service is only available in College and University buildings where the wifi networks are provided by the University Wireless Service. Some Colleges prefer to run their own wireless networks, and you won't be able to access this service there. See University Wireless coverage for lists of participating Colleges and institutions.
 

Set up a device on UniOfCam-IoT

You should only use UniOfCam-IoT if your device does not connect to eduroam.

  1. First, you'll need a device other than the one you're trying to set up. It must be connected to the University Data Network, either via our eduroam or UniOfCam wifi networks or a wired connection.

    Open a web browser and visit the IoT registration site and log in with your CRSid@cam.ac.uk email address and University account (formerly Raven) password. Your device will be associated with these credentials once it's registered.

     

     

  2. Select 'Create New Device'.

     

     

  3. Complete the device registration form as follows:

    • Device Name: enter a name for your device that you'll recognise. For example, "Amazon Echo" or "Apple TV".
       
    • MAC Address: enter the MAC address of your device. It's usually twelve letters and digits separated into pairs by colons or hyphens, for example, A1:B2:C3:D4:E5:F6. You'll either find this in a sticker on the device or its packaging, or in the device settings window. You can search online for advice on how to find the MAC address on your device.

      Note that some devices offer randomised MAC addresses as a privacy feature. You'll need to ensure this is switched off to use this service, as it isn't supported. You can search online for 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.
       

    • Email Address: Enter the email address where you'd like to receive the wifi password for this device.
       
    • Phone Number: You can also enter a phone number to receive the password via a text message.

     

    Then select 'Create Device'.

     

     

  4. You'll receive an email containing the wifi password for your device, like this:

     

     

    Now switch to the device you want to set up. Connect it to the UniOfCam-IoT wireless network, and enter the password sent to you by email or SMS. Note that this password will only work for this device. If your device asks for it, make sure you select WPA2-PSK with AES encryption (WPA or TKIP will not work).

  5. You should now be online. You should only ever have to enter your password once, but if you need to re-enter the password or change it, see below for instructions on how to reset it.

 

Manage your device

You can see a list of the devices you've registered by revisiting the IoT registration site and clicking on 'Manage Devices'.

 

 

Select a device in the list to modify or remove it.

 

 

Select 'Remove' to delete the device (for example, if you no longer have it).

Select 'Edit' to change device properties or create a new password for it.

 

 

You'll then be shown the details for this device:

 

 

On this page, you can:

  • Update the 'MAC Address' if you made a mistake when entering it. Note that you'll need to generate a new password if you update this (see below).
  • Update the 'Device Name'.
  • Generate a new wifi Password, which will be sent via email or SMS message. Note that you'll then need to update the password on your device's wifi settings.
  • Enable or disable 'AirGroup'. This is enabled by default. AirGroup helps your devices to discover and communicate with each other on the network. For example, it would allow you to use Airplay between devices. At the moment, you can only use AirGroup between personal devices that are associated with your credentials and connected to either eduroam or UniOfCam-IoT. In the future, we're hoping to make it possible to share connectivity with others. For example, allow a friend or colleague to Airplay something to your Apple TV.

 

Get help

If you're unable to connect, please look through our troubleshooting tips or contact the Service Desk: servicedesk@uis.cam.ac.uk