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IU Secure wireless connections: Windows

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Introduction


IU Secure is the wireless network for students, faculty, and staff to access on all campuses. IU Secure utilizes WPA2 Enterprise (Wi-Fi Protected Access) for authentication and encryption.

If you're visiting the university, use the IU Guest network; see Network Access account basics. If you're affiliated with Purdue, see Wireless access at Indiana University and Purdue University.

Note: To gain full Internet access for your device on the IU Secure network, you must register the device's MAC address. Before registering your MAC address, your device will be able to connect to IU Secure, but will not receive an IP address that allows a successful Internet connection. For more, see Registering your computer on the IU network

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Automatic configuration

To automatically configure your Windows computer to connect to IU Secure, use the IU Wireless Wizard from IUware.

Windows XP users must install Service Pack 3 before using this utility. Machines running XP Service Pack 2 will need to be manually configured.

If you instead wish to manually configure your computer to connect to IU Secure, follow the appropriate set of instructions below.

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Windows 8 manual configuration

  1. From Desktop view, in the notification area, right-click the network connection icon and select Open Network and Sharing Center. Select Set up a new connection or network, and then Manually connect to a wireless network.

    Note: For help navigating in Windows 8, see About views in Windows (Start screen/menu, Control Panel) and Microsoft's Windows 8 FAQ.

  2. For the Network Name, enter IU Secure. For the Security Type, choose WPA2 Enterprise. Click OK.

  3. Select Next and choose Change connection settings.

  4. Click Change connection settings. Select the Security tab, and then click Settings....

  5. Check Connect to these servers: and type net-auth-1.noc.iu.edu.

  6. Under "Trusted Root Certification Authorities:", select Thawte Premium Server CA and, if available, also select thawte Primary Root CA.

  7. Click OK twice and Close once to close all the windows.

  8. Click the network connections icon and select IU Secure. Then, select Connect.

  9. Enter your IU username and passphrase, and select OK.

  10. If you see "Windows can't verify the server's identity", simply select Connect.

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Windows 7 or Vista manual configuration

Note: To manually configure Windows Vista to connect to IU Secure, you first need to install the Microsoft Root Certificate Update.

The first time you connect to the IU Secure wireless network, to configure Windows 7 or Vista for IU Secure:

Note: If this doesn't match what you see, refer to About navigation settings in Windows.

  1. From the Start menu, open the Control Panel.

  2. Click Network and Sharing Center. Then, click Connect to a network.

  3. From the menu, double-click IU Secure (you may need to scroll down).

    If prompted, select Enter/select additional logon information. Supply your Network ID; for the logon domain, use ADS. Click OK.

  4. You will probably return to the "Connect to a network" screen. Click Enter/select additional logon information again.

  5. In the Validate Server Certificate window, under "Root Certificate Authority", select all of the following that are available:

    • Thawte Premium Server CA
    • thawte Primary Root CA

    Click OK.

  6. In the Connect to the Internet window, you now have the option to save your login credentials so you will not have to provide them every time. To save them, click Close.

If you cannot connect after following the steps above, see the instructions below for pre-configuring your computer.

Note: Following the steps above will save your username and passphrase for all subsequent connections from your computer. If you do not want your authentication credentials saved (e.g., if you are logged into someone else's computer), clear your credentials from memory as follows:

  1. In the Control Panel, double-click Network and Sharing Center.

  2. On the left, click Manage wireless connections.

  3. Double-click the wireless network connection you just configured.

  4. Click the Security tab. In Windows 7, uncheck Remember my credentials for this connection each time I'm logged on. In Vista, uncheck Cache user information for subsequent connections to this network. Click OK.

  5. Refresh or disconnect the connection.

The instructions below describe the complete manual process for configuring Windows 7 or Vista to access IU Secure. Use these instructions to pre-configure your computer before it's in range of the IU Secure network, or if for some reason the process above does not work when you are in range of the network.

  1. Before manually setting up the new connection to IU Secure, first check for and remove any existing connections:

    1. From the Start menu, select Control Panel. Go to Network and Sharing Center. Then, on the left, click Manage Wireless Networks.
    2. If IU Secure appears, highlight it and click Remove.

  2. While in the "Manage Wireless Networks" screen, click Add.

  3. Choose Manually create a network profile. In the dialog box that appears:

    1. For "Network name:", type IU Secure.
    2. For "Security type:", select WPA2-Enterprise.
    3. For "Encryption type:", select AES.
    4. The other options can generally be left alone.
    5. Click Next.

  4. Click Change connection settings. Select the Security tab, and then click Settings....

  5. Check Connect to these servers: and type net-auth-1.noc.iu.edu.

  6. Under "Trusted Root Certification Authorities:", select Thawte Premium Server CA and, if available, also select thawte Primary Root CA.

  7. Check Do not prompt user to authorize new servers or trusted certification authorities.

  8. Click Configure....

  9. Uncheck Automatically use my Windows logon name and password (and domain if any).

  10. Click OK three times to close all the windows.

When you select the IU Secure wireless network and click Connect, you will not be able to connect until you authenticate. Instead, a pop-up window will open (it may take a moment) telling you that additional information is required. Click the link in this window to open an authentication box. Type your username and password; in the "Logon domain:" field, enter ADS.

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Windows XP manual configuration

To manually configure Windows XP to connect to IU Secure, you must have one of the following installed:

  • Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3)
  • Windows XP Wireless LAN API (available from Microsoft Support)

You also must install the Microsoft Root Certificate Update.

To configure Windows XP manually:

Note: If this doesn't match what you see, refer to About navigation settings in Windows.

  1. From the Start menu, select Control Panel; alternatively, click Settings, and then Control Panel.

  2. Double-click the Network Connections icon. If instead you see Network and Internet Connections, click the link in the upper left labeled Switch to Classic View to see the correct Network Connections icon.

  3. Right-click the Wireless Network Connection icon and select Properties.

  4. Click the Wireless Networks tab, and then click Add....

  5. On the Association tab, enter these settings:

    1. In the "Network name (SSID):" field, enter IU Secure.
    2. From the "Network Authentication:" drop-down menu, select WPA2.
    3. From the "Data encryption:" drop-down list, select AES.

  6. Select the Authentication tab, and then enter these settings:

    1. From the "EAP type:" drop-down list, select Protected EAP (PEAP).
    2. Uncheck Authenticate as computer when computer information is available.
    3. Verify that Authenticate as guest when user or computer information is unavailable is not selected.

  7. Under the "EAP type:" drop-down menu, click Properties. In the resulting Protected EAP dialog box, configure the following:

    1. Verify that Validate server certificate is selected.
    2. Select the Connect to these servers: box, and then enter net-auth-1.noc.iu.edu in the text box.
    3. In the "Trusted Root Certification Authorities" list, select Thawte Premium Server CA and, if available, also select thawte Primary Root CA.
    4. Select Do not prompt user to authorize new servers or trusted certification authorities.

  8. Verify that Secured password (EAP-MSCHAP v2) is selected for the authentication method, and then click Configure....

  9. In the EAP MSCHAP v2 Properties dialog box, uncheck Automatically use my Windows logon name and password (and domain if any), and then click OK.

  10. Click OK to close the Protected EAP Properties dialog box.

  11. Click OK to close the Wireless network properties dialog box.

  12. Click OK to close the Wireless Network Connection Properties dialog box.

  13. Your system will attempt to connect to the IU Secure wireless network. You should see a message balloon near the notification area displaying the message:

    "Click here to select a certificate or other credentials for connection to the network IU Secure"

  14. Click the message balloon, and then enter your IU Network ID credentials in the authentication box. In the "Domain" field, enter ADS, and then click OK.

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Troubleshooting

Problems getting a wireless signal

Wireless coverage is widely available at IU. If you suspect you're not getting an adequate wireless signal, check the connection status. In Windows XP, in the Network Connections folder, double-click the Wireless Connection icon. The connection status information includes a signal strength meter.

If you are not getting an adequate wireless signal in an area that is supposed to have coverage, try verifying these wireless settings. These adjustments will not need to be made on machines running Windows 7 or Vista. To check your settings in Windows XP:

Note: If this doesn't match what you see, refer to About navigation settings in Windows.

  1. From the Start menu, select Control Panel; alternatively, click Settings, and then Control Panel.

  2. If the screen prompts you to pick a category, click Network and Internet Connections, and then Network Connections. If it doesn't, double-click Network Connections.

  3. Right-click Wireless Network Connection and select Properties. Then, click the Wireless Networks tab.

  4. At the bottom right, click Advanced.

  5. Make sure the only option selected is Access point (infrastructure) networks only. If other options are selected, deselect them.

  6. Click Close, and then click OK.

If you have trouble connecting, but the signal strength is good, a different network configuration issue may be preventing communications. To resolve this issue, use standard TCP/IP troubleshooting techniques.

For help, see Microsoft Support.

If the signal strength is poor or no signal is received, try the steps below for configuring Windows XP without using Wireless Zero. If that does not resolve the issue, consult the manufacturer to determine if the wireless network adapter is working properly.

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Windows troubleshooting

  • Verify that the date and time are correctly set in the notification area.

  • Resetting TCP/IP and the Winsock Catalog:

    Occasionally, a computer caches network settings when switching access points or networks. To clear these settings, follow the steps below.

    To reset the Winsock Catalog:

    1. In Windows Vista or 7, click the Start menu. Type cmd and press the Enter key.

      In Windows XP, click the Start menu, and then click Run.... Type cmd and click OK.

    2. At the command prompt, enter netsh winsock reset.

    While still at the command prompt, to reset TCP/IP, enter:

    netsh int ip reset reset.txt

    Note: You will not get any "success" message from this command; you will return to the command prompt.

  • Driver problems:

    To troubleshoot driver problems:

    1. From the Start menu or desktop, right-click Computer or My Computer, and select Manage.

    2. Under "Computer Management", click Device Manager.

    3. In the right pane, double-click Other devices if possible. If the wireless network adapter is in this folder, the drivers for the network adapter have not been installed.

    4. Double-click Network adapters and see if a wireless network adapter is present.

      • If the wireless network adapter is present, double-click it. Under the General tab, confirm that the device is working properly. If it is not, you will see an error code under "Device Status". You can further troubleshoot the error by searching for the error code at Microsoft support.
      • If the wireless network adapter is not present under either Network adapters or Other devices, either the problem is with the device or the driver may not be installed.

  • Configuring Windows XP without using Wireless Zero Configuration:

    If you can view the properties for the Wireless Connection icon but you do not see a Wireless Networks tab, the network adapter driver does not fully support the Wireless Zero Configuration service; configure Windows XP to use the connection as follows:

    1. In the Network Connections folder, right-click Wireless Connection, and then select Properties.

    2. Click Configure. From the Advanced tab, configure your wireless network by using the available configuration options. The available options and option names may vary depending on the driver manufacturer:

      • Service-Set Identifier (SSID): At IU, this should be set to IU Secure.
      • Wireless Equivalent Protocol (WEP) or Encryption: Disable WEP.
      • Mode or Network Type: If you have an access point (e.g., you are at IU trying to connect to the IU network), set this option to Infrastructure. If you do not have an access point, and you are connecting computer to computer, set this option to Ad-Hoc.
      • Data Rate: Set this option to Auto or to 11 Mbps.
      • Power Save: For troubleshooting, set Power Save to Off or to Disabled. After the connection works properly, you can change this setting.

    After you configure these options, click OK to save the changes. Test to see if your connection works. If a red "X" is displayed over the connection icon in the Network Connections folder, or if you cannot connect:

    1. From the Start menu or the desktop, right-click Computer or My Computer, and select Manage.

    2. Double-click Services and Applications, and then click Services.

    3. In the details pane, right-click Wireless Zero Configuration, and select Properties.

    4. Under "Startup type", select Disabled, and then click OK.

    5. Close the Computer Management window, and then restart the computer.

    By disabling the Wireless Zero Configuration, you should be able to connect to the wireless network.

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