Getting the Most From Your Wireless Connection at Rider

The usage of Rider’s wireless network called nowires has increased dramatically year over year. In 2014 about 3000 devices would connect daily. in 2019 almost 10,000 devices connect to our network on any given day. OIT has made several wireless network improvements throughout the campus in the last few years and continuously monitors utilization and bandwidth. Below are tips on what you can do to improve your experience:

* Keep your computer and phone operating system up to date. The software that operates your wireless card in your devices can sometimes cause problems and may have a hard time communicating with the access points. For computers, make sure you have up to date virus protection software.

* Connect your printer via USB or Ethernet: Wireless printers use significant network bandwidth and interfere with the wireless of others on the network, even when they are idle. For this reason, OIT strongly recommends that you connect your printer via USB instead of wireless.

* Get a new wireless card, if necessary: If you’re in the market for a new computer, make sure the wireless card is “dual-band”, or supports “5ghz”. If it supports 802.11ac, then it will be dual-band for sure. If your computer only supports the older 2.4ghz band, you can buy a small USB adapter that operates at a faster speed for approx. $30.
 

* Do not bring your own access point or router. One major source of interference is misconfigured devices and communicate on the same radio frequency as Rider’s wireless network. When they are misconfigured, it causes problems for you and your neighbors.

Need additional information or assistance? Create a ticket here.

Rider University OIT Help Desk                

(609) 219-3000   |   helpdesk@rider.edu   | www.rider.edu/helpdesk