Guidance on Connecting to eduroam

Earlier this year, the University transitioned to eduroam, making it the sole secure wireless network for all Northwestern students, faculty, and staff. Officially replacing the Northwestern SSID, eduroam offers the same coverage, capacity, and performance—there is no technical difference to the former Northwestern SSID. Of course, a significant advantage is eduroam’s secure and seamless wireless connection when visiting any of the 10,000 eduroam-enabled institutions worldwide.

Since the transition, some community members have contacted the Northwestern IT Service Desk or local IT support staff seeking assistance with connecting to the wireless network. If you are experiencing an issue with the wireless connection for an extended period of time, please first review the self-service guidance below.

Self-Service Guidance on Connecting to eduroam

• Authentication—The most common issue accessing the wireless network involves using incorrect credentials. To join eduroam, remember the user name is YourNetID@northwestern.edu. Previously, users joined the wireless network with only their NetID. Also, while rare, an occasional error is seen on macOS devices that can be resolved using directions in the Northwestern IT Knowledge Base.
• Update Wireless Drivers—Outdated wireless drivers can be an issue—more commonly with Windows devices—because driver updates are typically provided by the device or wireless card manufacturer and not as part of the normal Microsoft Update processes built into Windows. Wireless drivers are included in operating system updates for other platforms, including macOS, Android, and iOS/iPadOS.
• Wireless Profile/Settings Management—Inspect the list of saved wireless profiles on your devices and remove any you no longer use or do not need (e.g., Northwestern, Guest-Northwestern, and Device-Northwestern, which is for specific devices like gaming systems, printers, and media devices). Review instructions on how to do so and adjust the priority of those remaining.

Report the Problem

If the self-service options above do not resolve your connection issue, contact the Northwestern IT Service Desk at consultant@northwestern.edu or 847-491-4357 (1-HELP). Please provide as much information as possible about the issue, and be prepared to share the following information to expedite the process:

• User name/NetID 
• Device type and operating system version 
• Wireless MAC (hardware) address—learn how to find the MAC address
• The specific location where the network issue occurred (e.g., Norris University Center, room 327;Tech Auditorium Balcony, south side)
• Date and time when the issue occurred 

To learn more about the wireless network at Northwestern, visit the wireless network services page in the Northwestern IT Service Catalog.