New semester, same old WiFi issues
Students, faculty feeling frustrated with online connection problems
The Central Michigan University Office of Information Technology sits on Jan. 10 in the Charles V. Park Library.
Students know the experience all too well: the spinning, "loading" icon. WiFi at Central Michigan University has never had a reputation for being reliable, and with the start of a new semester, connecting to the WiFi has remained an ongoing obstacle.
These issues have generated reasonable complaints and stress among students and faculty who rely on the internet for academic resources.
David Kinney, sociology faculty member, experienced frustrating internet troubles when he asked his sociology students to access online materials during class Jan. 10.
“For the first five to 10 minutes of class, (the internet) wasn’t working and people were getting frustrated,” Kinney said. “(Once tech support was contacted), it worked out, but it was somewhat disconcerting at the beginning and my students were a bit perturbed.”
How to register a new device to Cmich GOLD WiFi :
- Connect to Cmich Open
- Go to reg.cmich.edu
- Choose and location
- Login with your Global ID
Likewise, Port Austin freshman Lauren Aymen battled with the WiFi for a couple of days, trying to connect her laptop to the internet. She eventually managed to connect after moving in between different buildings on campus.
“Although I had my old laptop to use, I was just kind of upset that the process to connect to the WiFi was so difficult,” Aymen said. “(Without WiFi), you have no access to class announcements, homework assignments and other important academic things.”
According to Kole Taylor, manager of communications and enablement at the Office of Information Technology, the problems that have surfaced for students and faculty are typical and resolved fairly quickly.
“Asides from any technical reasons, we look at the survey results from tickets and feedback, and I haven’t noticed anything out of the norm as far as WiFi complaints go,” he said. “It all seems pretty standard fare to me.”
WiFi only has such a range, so it’s not uncommon to encounter frustrating blips with the internet.
“We have access points all over the place in all of the buildings. It’s possible for one of them to have an issue at some point,” Taylor said. “They tend to recover gracefully, but that would explain why a bunch of people in one area could have an issue.”
Students and faculty who are continuing to face issues can stop by the Office of Information Technology in the Charles V. Park Library. Some tips for connecting to the internet include re-registering to the "Cmich GOLD" WiFi account, checking that your device is up to date on software and shutting down and restarting.
“A lot of times the same thing we tell people over the phone is the best option: turn it off and back on again,” Kole said.
