Students enjoy freedom of wireless network in dorms

After OIT installed wireless points in dormitories over the summer and turned on wireless access earlier this month, student laptops have become more portable than ever.

The decision to install wireless Internet in the dorms was made partly because of student feedback, but also because OIT discovered that many students had installed their own wireless routers in their rooms, said Leila Shahbender, manager of Student Computing Services for the Office of Information Technology.

"We're not on the leading edge of technology, but we want to be one of the universities that people look to — doing things that are innovative. At the same time, we don't want to be too much on the edge because we don't want to provide services that don't work," she said.

Student response to wireless access has been positive, but some also noted that it hasn't really changed the way they connect to the Internet.

"I don't think there was much of a need for wireless in the rooms. If you're at your desk there's no reason you need it. The only reason I can think of to use it is if you want to lay in bed and work or something," Alec Chapman '07 said.

Erika Kaneko '07 said, "I was told by an RCC that it's meant to be more of a convenience than to replace the old LAN connections. So, I still plug my computer into the wall, but it's really nice to be able to carry my laptop into the common room from time to time, or even bring it to a friend's room without interrupting."

Shahbender cautions that the wireless service is not as reliable as using an Ethernet connection. Variables such as the number of people on an access point, the thickness of walls and the furniture in a room can impact a wireless connection. Also, students should know that wireless is a shared service and not a secure network.

"Someone could, in theory, be listening to the traffic and picking up things like bank accounts and passwords, so anything you're concerned about not wanting other people to get, you might not want to conduct that business using the wireless network," Shahbender said.

As for the future of wireless at Princeton, Shahbender does not know if there are plans to make all of Princeton wireless, pointing out that there are areas such as athletic fields where students rarely bring their computers.

A wireless map of campus shows that many buildings on campus already have full or partial wireless access, which can benefit studious Princetonians, but also facilitate greater procrastination.

"I guess having wireless in classrooms is only a big deal for people who have tablets, mostly for when you get bored in class," Chapman said.