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Over the summer, IT Services has been working to improve Miami's Wi-Fi infrastructure, increasing its security, features, and performance. We have three new networks which are:

• MiamiOH-Secure
• MiamiOH-Visitor
• MiamiOH-MyDevices

As we kick off the new semester, you might notice some enhancements to the Wi-Fi networks available to you on your wireless devices. 

With these enhancements, you might see a lot of new lingo and information you might not be familiar with. 

What Do These Terms Mean?

There can be lots of confusing acronyms and phrases when it comes to talking about Wi-Fi and it can be hard to understand what is going on and how it affects you if you are not familiar with it. Have no fear though! We have provided this handy list of all the terms and what they mean:

• Service Set Identifier (SSID) - This is the name of the Wi-Fi network. It is the unique identifier that helps devices connect to the correct network. If the internet is an information superhighway, think of the SSID as a hub or city that all your devices "travel" to to get connected. 
• MAC Address - This is a unique identifier assigned to a network interface controller (NIC). It is a 12-digit number that is used to identify a device on a specific network. Like a street address is used to identify where your home is, the mac address is used to pinpoint your device.
• Network Interface Controller (NIC) - a computer hardware component that connects a computer to a network. This is essentially the "homebase"/center for connection on your device.
• Access Point (AP) - a network device that connects wired and wireless networks. It is a stand alone hub that links devices together and increases the range of communication for wireless users. We have hundreds of these on campus in all of Miami's buildings. If you ever are walking around and you see a little white box hanging on the wall or ceiling, you have found one of our access points!
• Wireless Private Network (WPN) - a customized cellular network that is not connected to the public network and is owned and controlled by an organization. In this case, this is Miami's own Wi-Fi and superhighway to which all our devices are connected. 
• Internet of Things (IoT) - a network of physical objects, also known as "smart objects". These objects are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies to connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the internet. An example of these objects would be an Alexa, smart TVs, smart light bulbs, etc. It is essentially anything outside of the typical phone, laptop, and tablet that needs to be connected to the internet.

Putting the Pieces Together

Wow! That was a lot of words, so lets sort them all out to determine what they mean in terms of how Wi-Fi works at Miami. 

Miami has its own wireless private network, meaning that our internet is not open to the public. That is why we have you sign in with your Miami credentials, so your devices can connect to the network. Our network consists of SSIDs, which are our network names (e.g., MiamiOH-Secure, MiamiOH-Visitor, etc). Your personal device contains a network interface controller, which allows for it to connect to our network. Each NIC has a MAC address that allows for your device to be easily identified out of all the others connected to the network. 

Because our campus is so big, we have access points posted around campus (more than 10,000 of them!) that allow the connectivity to be strong no matter where you are. This is what makes our Wi-Fi different from your home Wi-Fi, because instead of having just one router, we have multiple points of access to allow for continual strong connectivity across campus.  

Then there is the Internet of Things, which is the connection between smart devices that allow them to work at Miami. For example, an Amazon Alexa in your dorm would be part of the IoT because it is a smart device that requires internet connection. This is where the handy MiamiOH-MyDevices network comes in. 

Network Security at Miami

With such a big infrastructure, it is important that Miami's Wi-Fi remains secure at all times. That is where the technicians from Miami's Network Services come in. Our technicians work hard everyday to maintain our firewall and work with compromised devices. 

Fun fact: It is estimated that our network technicians deny over one hundred million malicious hits on our network everyday!

Eduroam

The last thing to talk about when it comes to Wi-Fi at Miami is eduroam. Eduroam is a really neat tool that allows you to connect to any university/place's network using your Miami credentials. For example, if you were visiting another university, you could connect to their eduroam network using your Miami credentials, allowing for connectivity even outside of Miami. As long as that location also uses eduroam, then you can connect anywhere!

Wrapping it Up

Trying to understand Miami's Wi-Fi and how it works can be scary at first. That's why we at IT Services are here to help! Don't forget that you can always visit MiamiOH.edu/wifi to learn more about our network and how to get support. Or visit our and access thousands of articles about our applications and technology and how to use them.  You can also get support by:

• Calling us at 513-529-7900
• Chatting at
• Or stopping by the Tech Support Lounge for any hands-on issues