Extended wireless coverage on campus

UCT will soon have wireless network coverage in all buildings and student residences on campus, thanks to ICTS. More than 20 buildings already have full wireless coverage, and many others have been surveyed for wireless access points. The extended wireless coverage has made it possible for students and staff to use wifi-enabled devices such as laptops, netbooks, tablets and smartphones to access the UCT network and the internet from more locations on campus than ever before.

The wireless network means that you can take your device with you to a meeting to view documents such as agendas or minutes, make changes to existing documents on the network, or read and process your email. You can even access your printer wirelessly and print out copies of the document you've just edited. You're no longer bound to a specific wired network point to be able to access and update the information you need. There are some limitations, though; the wireless network is best used for simple and frequent applications, such as email and internet browsing, so it's not ideal for bandwidth-intensive applications such as downloading large files and streaming multimedia. It can also be affected by environmental conditions, which could interfere with or reduce signal strength and range. This is why the wireless network will not replace the wired network at UCT; it is merely an extension of the network infrastructure to allow you to access information from almost anywhere on campus.

To get started, follow the set-up instructions to connect to the wireless network on your wifi-enabled device using your UCT network username and password. Go to ICTS for all the instructions, and to see where on campus wireless access points have been installed.