Wifi & internet access

Get connected at UOW

The University of Wollongong has options to get you connected whether you are a student, staff member or visitor; on or off campus or living in UOW accommodation.

All users must comply with the IT Acceptable Use policy when accessing the UOW network. Connecting to any network, wired or wireless at UOW will require you to identify yourself through your UOW username and password.

To keep yourself safe online, make sure you’re across the latest  threats and information.

Wi-Fi at UOW

The University provides wireless internet access to the Wollongong campus and its regional campuses and is available to staff, students and guests of the University.

There are two wireless networks available

  • UOW - Our primary UOW wifi service
  • Eduroam – For inter-institutional roaming

The recommended network for teaching and learning is the UOW network.

Wired network

When connecting to the wired network at UOW, you may need to complete some additional steps to access the internet such as using Border Authentication.

Please note: It is breach of the IT Acceptable Use Policy to connect a device to the UOW Wired network. The only exception to this is rooms in student accommodation which all have wired ports in them.

Border Authentication

To access the internet from UOW wired networks, our border firewall needs to know who is making the connection by entering your UOW username and password into the service.

You can authenticate directly through our website.

Examples of where border auth may be needed include:

  • Scientific instrumentation that needs to connect to the Internet
  • Desktops that aren't joined to the ADUOW domain
  • Wired ports in Accommodation (including for game consoles)

Connecting devices to the network (Accommodation)

Most gaming consoles, smart devices and printers are not able to connect to the UOW network via Wi-Fi due to their inability to connect to Enterprise Networks (i.e. they do not support WPA2 Enterprise).

You may be able to connect consoles and other devices via the network outlet in your room via an Ethernet cable. If the device is able to connect and retrieve an IP address (would look similar to the format 10.XX.XX.XX.XX) you can Border Authenticate to connect the device to the network using the links above.

Please be aware, the ability to connect via a network outlet will vary with each device.

VPN

UOW has a Virtual Private Network that allows staff and students of the University to securely connect to the UOW network from any public network, providing access to UOW services and resources when at home or travelling.

The software client can be self-installed from the AnyConnect VPN Client Portal.

Eduroam

Eduroam is a Wi-Fi option available to all UOW Students and UOW Staff when visiting other Universities and visitors to UOW from other participating Eduroam institutions.

Visit Eduroam for more information and a list of participating institutions and locations.

UOW students and staff

When visiting other Eduroam enabled institutions around the world, you simply connect with your UOW email address as the username and UOW password credentials.

It is recommended that you configure and test your device on the Eduroam network at UOW before you travel, and contact the IT Service Desk if you have any issues.

Guests and visitors

If you're visiting UOW from another participating Eduroam institution, you should configure Eduroam on your device before you visit.

You will need to use your institution's user name and password to connect via Eduroam from UOW campuses. Please contact your local help/support team for setup instructions particular to your institution.

Eduroam access policy

The use of Eduroam is governed by the national policy. The Eduroam network is not content-filtered and access by staff or students under-18 requires parental consent. In accordance with the Eduroam Policy, the University of Wollongong may log all Eduroam activity including; authentication, DHCP and accounting requests. Eduroam logs will be held for a period of time in accordance with operational needs.

Accessing online content from University Network

Internet content accessed on campus may be blocked in accordance with UOW's IT Acceptable Use Policy on computer surveillance. Online content may be blocked for one of two reasons:

  1. A website that poses a security risk because it has malware installed or is host to a phishing page.
  2. The website falls into a category of online content that is being blocked due to legal requirement, or ethical or reputational risks.

Please note: some content not available on campus will be accessible at Student accommodation sites.

If you are attempting to access the blocked site for UOW business, research, or study purposes you can request an exemption using the online application form.

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