ITS Infrastructure is continually looking for ways to improve WiFi service across campus. Their latest effort aims to reduce network congestion to provide a more reliable wireless experience.
As of February 22, 2018, people in most ITS buildings connect to “MWireless” exclusively using the 5GHz frequency, which is now considered mainstream. Older devices that only support 2.4GHz WiFi—mainly those manufactured before 2012—must now connect to “eduroam.”
ITS Infrastructure is confident that removing 2.4GHz from MWireless will improve WiFi for most people. This older standard tends to be crowded and prone to interference, leading to slower speeds and spotty performance.
ITS buildings are serving as a test site for this change, because they are large enough to catch problems that occur 1% of the time. Buildings include the Administrative Services Building (ASB), the Boyer Building, and Arbor Lakes. This change does not yet affect the rest of campus outside of ITS buildings on the UM-Ann Arbor campus.
Most devices, including MiWorkspace computers, already use 5GHz WiFi, and continue to do so with no interruption. For older devices, this change means MWireless will disappear from the list of available networks. Those devices can still get online using eduroam, which works exactly like MWireless for university students, faculty, and staff.
