UW Wireless Policy

At the University of Washington, the UW Technology organization has been charged with overall responsibility for proper deployment and management of the campus network, including wireless elements and spectrum use. Wireless infrastructure deployed by UW Technology is designed to operate harmoniously with our existing, managed wired networks and with negligible impact to wired network performance and resources. The UW Technology managed wireless network is also designed to enhance seamless roaming between access points within and between many buildings and outdoor areas.

UW's wireless network is designed to be a supplement to - not a substitute for - the wired network. It should be used primarily for general functions such as web browsing and email and is not designed to efficiently support high-bandwidth applications such as, but not limited to, streaming media or large file transfers. Wireless "access points" located throughout many buildings and common areas of all three UW campuses allow compatible wireless devices to connect to the UW network, as well as UWNetID authenticated access to the Internet.

Wireless bandwidth is shared by everyone connected to a given wireless access point. As the number of wireless connections increase, the bandwidth available to each connection decreases and performance deteriorates. Distance from the access point, buildings or objects shielding the access point, signal interference, quality of your equipment, battery power and other factors may also impact performance. Applications that generate high network traffic do not work well on wireless networks and negatively impact performance for everyone connected to the same access point.

UW wireless is defined as a production service. User problems and outages on the UW wireless network will be handled along with the queue of incidents and outages on the wired network.

To promote efficient and secure wireless network access, UW Technology maintains strict standards for the deployment of wireless devices at the University of Washington. These standards and their related restrictions are outlined in further detail below.

Wireless IP Address Policy:

• DHCP is the standard addressing method for the UW wireless networks, and is expected to meet the majority of customer requirements.
• Wireless is a dynamic service. Due to the dynamic nature of wireless, IP space serving a building or open space can, and will, change over time due to capacity re-engineering.
• Wireless static IP addresses are available for clients with a demonstrated need. These clients should understand that due to the dynamic nature of wireless address space they may be required to change these addresses periodically and possibly with short notice.
  • See the Wireless Static IP Requirements page for details on requirements and procedures for requesting a static IP on a wireless network.

Restrictions:

• University of Washington policy requires that all new deployments of wireless infrastructure be installed and maintained by UW Technology. Installing departmental or DIY wireless access points is prohibited to avoid possible interference with the UW wireless network, unnecessary impact to the wired network and to minimize undue security risks to the University. Additionally, in areas where centrally-managed wireless networking is available any pre-existing locally managed access points must be removed. add link to Thorud letter
  • Any exceptions to the above policy must be approved by UW Technology as the University Technology Advisory Committee (UTAC) delegated exception authority.
  • Departments with research-related and/or clinical requirements to maintain a locally managed wireless network will be required to abide by the Wireless Security and Co-existence Guidelines.
  • Departments meeting these requirements may request an exemption and/or fee waiver by contacting the UW Technology Service Center at help@u.washington.edu or 206-221-5000.
• It is UW Technology's intention to maintain the highest level of service possible for our wireless clients. In order to facilitate this goal, students and staff are asked to minimize the potential for interference from other non-infrastructure devices using the unlicensed 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio frequency (RF) bands. UW Technology will regularly monitor activity in these bands and will notify users of interfering devices which have potential to impact the campus wireless network. The University, through UW Technology reserves the right to restrict the use of any 2.4/5GHz radio devices that are found to be potentially disruptive to the wireless network in all University owned or managed properties.
• Use of the wireless network is subject to the usual policies for use of UW campus network services. See Knowing the Rules
• Only devices authenticated via UWNetID may access network resources outside the UW network.
• The University, though UW Technology, reserves the right to disable your wireless network access for a variety of reasons, including "excessive" bandwidth usage, mis-configured or compromised device, or degradation of service to other users. The UW operates an unencrypted wireless network, therefore any sensitive information transmitted over the network should follow the UW standard for minimum computing security. Because UW Technology deployed wireless networks do not use network based encryption protocols, it is the user's responsibility to use protected transport- or session-level protocols if sensitive information is transmitted over a wireless network. If your department handles Personal Health Information (PHI) additional steps may be required to ensure the security of that sensitive information. (see UW Information Systems Security policy statement )

A few things to know about wireless networks:

• The wireless network's maximum data speed averages less than 1/10th the speed of the campus wired network. High bandwidth and latency-sensitive applications like large file transfers, Microsoft Window system updates, streaming media, and file sharing programs can impact user experience.
• Wireless systems have limited control over the RF medium, consequently performance varies and may not meet the needs of critical and high-availability services.
• Wireless connections from off-campus areas and sections of campus not designated for wireless coverage are not supported by UW Technology.
• Be aware that microwaves, cordless telephones, and other RF devices that operate in the same frequencies as WiFi (2.4GHz and 5GHz) are known sources of wireless signal interference.
• On UW campuses using an 802.11a capable wireless device will often improve performance, especially in large classrooms and auditoriums (see the wireless services map of where 802.11a is available).