Northeastern State University

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Wireless

Purpose

To ensure the technical coordination required to provide the best possible wireless network for Northeastern State University (NSU) at Tahlequah, Muskogee, and Broken Arrow campuses, the policy provides:

• · The structure for a campus-wide solution for the implementation of wireless technology
• · Identifies responsibility for the deployment and management of wireless network
• · Identifies the wireless protocols, security and devices in use on campus
• · Identifies security measures and installation procedures

Scope

This policy applies to all University staff, faculty, and students (collectively, “users”), including all campuses.

Policy

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) using the 802.11 standard is a fast emerging technology. This wireless technology is by nature easy to deploy, but highly sensitive to overlapping frequencies. Because of these characteristics, all wireless use must be planned, deployed, and managed in a very careful and centralized fashion to ensure basic functionality, maximum bandwidth, and a secure network.

The Computing and Telecommunications (C&T) department will be solely responsible for the deployment and management of all wireless access points on campus. No other department may deploy 802.11 or related wireless standards or wireless access points. This includes intra-building and inter-building wireless communications. C&T is solely responsible for administration and operation of connections (wired or wireless) on the NSU campuses. Any and all connections must be coordinated through C&T so as to assure the security and reliability of campus information services.

A wireless network allows campus users to access computing resources from mobile or portable computers. However, it also means that a portion of radio airspace on the campus serves as the transport medium for a part of the NSU network. Accordingly, certain computing policies now apply to that segment of the radio airspace on campus.

Wireless networks conforming to the 802.11 and related standards are in use on campus. Certain other “wireless” devices exist in the market place that also employ similar frequency band(s) and can cause interference to users of the campus wireless service. These devices operating at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz include, but are not limited to other IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN devices, cordless telephones, cameras, and audio speakers.

In order to assure the highest level of service to the users of the wireless network, there is a need to minimize the potential interference from those devices. Therefore, the use of all other 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz devices (and any other device determined to cause interference) should be discontinued in university-owned buildings. In cases where the device is being used for a specific teaching or research application, C&T will work with faculty to develop accommodations without causing interference to wireless network users.

NSU will approach the shared use of the radio frequency in the same way that it manages the shared use of the wired network. While we will not actively monitor use of the airspace for potential interfering devices, we will seek out the user of a specific device if we find that it is actually causing interference and disrupting the campus network. In these cases, NSU reserves the right to restrict the use of all 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio devices in university-owned buildings and all outdoor spaces on NSU campuses.

Users with an existing system that may use these radio devices for transmission or are planning to purchase a wireless system should contact the Help Desk at 456-5511 x 5678 or send e-mail to help@nsuok.edu. The Help Desk can assist in directing the inquiry to the appropriate personnel in determining if such devices will cause interference to the wireless NSU network.

This service allows you to browse the Internet and check Email during your visit at Northeastern State University. As a valued guest of NSU, you can access this service free of charge.

Be aware that your connection is not encrypted so we highly recommend you login to your company's VPN, if available.

Access to the NSU WLAN service is provided for all users.

Users must read, agree with and accept all of the terms and conditions contained in this notice before using the WLAN. Using the NSU Wireless Network constitutes that you have read and accept the terms and conditions.

Terms and Conditions

• · Northeastern State University is providing you access to our WLAN as a complimentary service for your convenience during your visit at NSU. You acknowledge that (i) the WLAN service provides unencrypted wireless access to the Internet, and agree you are responsible for the security of your system and any transmissions you make or receive; and (ii) that you understand the risks of unencrypted access to the Internet, and will take any necessary security precautions, including encrypting confidential transmissions, backing up any data and protecting your system with a firewall and robust user authentication.


• · You agree that your activities on the WLAN shall not:introduce any viruses, Trojan horses, worms, time bombs, cancel bots, other computer programming routines that may damage, detrimentally interfere with, surreptitiously intercept or expropriate any system, data or personal information;


• · Create any liability for us or cause us to lose (in whole or in part) the services of our suppliers;


• · Violate any law, statute, ordinance or regulation (including, but not limited to, those governing export control consumer protection, unfair competition, antidiscrimination or false advertising);


• · Be defamatory, trade libelous, unlawfully threatening or harassing;


• · Be obscene or contain child pornography;


• · Infringe any third party's copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret or other proprietary rights; or


• · Involve any attempt to access any data or system which you are not authorized to access.


• · You agree that NSU may not make certain Internet services available.


• · AS A COMPLIMENTARY SERVICE, THIS WLAN IS PROVIDED “AS-IS” AND “WHERE-IS,” WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. Gaming is not supported.

 

Updated July 2009