The Ohio State University provides Wi-Fi services for Ohio State students, faculty, staff and guests.

The Wi-Fi networks are maintained by the Office of Technology and Digital Innovation (OTDI).

Primary Campus Wi-Fi Networks

Faculty, Staff and Students

Guests and Visitors

*Available to the Ohio State community and visitors to Ohio Stadium, the Schottenstein Center and the Covelli Center Arena.

FAQs

How do I connect to the Wi-Fi network?

Students, Faculty and Staff

  • For computers, tablets and smartphones:
    • If your device already has internet connectivity, use the configuration utility(link is external) to automatically configure your device for eduroam.
    • If your device does not have internet connectivity, connect to WiFi@OSU, open a web browser and go to wireless.osu.edu. Upon being redirected to a login page, click on "Connect to eduroam" to access the configuration utility.
  • For other devices such as gaming consoles or printers:
    • Register your device at the My Devices page and connect to Registered4OSU, using the unique password you receive for each registered device.

Parents, Guests and Visitors

  • Connect to WiFi@OSU, open a web browser and go to wireless.osu.edu. Upon being redirected to a login page, review the acceptable use policy and then log in as a guest.
  • After logging in, your device will be allowed 12 hours of internet access after which you will need to log in again.

Where can I connect to the Wi-Fi network?

Ohio State has substantial Wi-Fi coverage on its main and regional campuses. In general, classrooms, unions and other common indoor gathering areas have strong coverage, as well as residence halls. Connectivity in outdoor areas is limited.

The OSU Wexner Medical Center maintains separate secured and open wireless networks for doctors and patients.

Which network am I supposed to use?

If you are an Ohio State student, faculty or staff member, connect to eduroam for your laptops, tablets and smartphones. Use Registered4OSU for devices without web browsers, such as gaming consoles and smart TVs. Visit our Knowledge Base(link is external) for a detailed list of devices and available networks.

If you are a guest to Ohio State that comes from an institution that participates in eduroam(link is external), connect to eduroam.

Otherwise, connect to WiFi@OSU.

What devices can I use on the Wi-Fi network?

The university’s wireless network supports numerous device types and operating systems. Because of the proliferation of devices available, not every single device on the market has been tested and confirmed on the campus network. The list of supported devices(link is external) provides a list of devices known to work and the SSID and method used to connect the device, as well as a list of devices tested and confirmed to not work. The list also includes footnotes containing caveats for some classes of devices.

What if my device is not connecting?

There are many reasons why a device may fail to connect to eduroam. The most common reasons are either the device is misconfigured or a wrong username and/or password is used. Both of these issues can be solved by using the configuration utility(link is external) to automatically configure your device for eduroam.

It's also possible the device does not support "WPA2 Enterprise(link is external)" encryption and authentication. In that case, first determine if there are any software updates available for the device. If that doesn't help, it may be that the hardware simply does not support WPA2 Enterprise.

If the configuration utility does not resolve your connectivity issue, please contact the IT Service Desk at 614-688-4357. Be prepared to provide your name.#, what device you're using, the location in which you are unable to connect and the last date and time when you were unable to connect.

If you are a parent, guest or visitor and have connected to WiFi@OSU, you must first open a web browser and go to wireless.osu.edu, and upon being redirected to a login page, review the acceptable use policy and then log in as a guest.

I changed my password and now my Wi-Fi is broken. Help!

After changing your password, all of your devices that connect to osuwireless need to be updated with the new password. This is one of the benefits of moving to eduroam and the new device-based authentication method(link is external). We recommend connecting your personal devices to eduroam now to avoid having to reconnect when your password updates each time.

My device won't connect to eduroam and doesn't have a web browser for WiFi@OSU. What do I do?

If your device doesn't support the encryption required to connect to eduroam, AND it doesn't have a web browser that would allow you to log in, you will need to first register your personal device(link is external).

You will need to locate the MAC address of the device, then log into the My Devices page to register the device. Once registered, disconnect the device and then reconnect to Registered4OSU using the unique password you received during the registration process.

What are the technical requirements needed for my device to connect to the Wi-Fi network?

Eduroam is a secure Wi-Fi networks due to its encryption and authentication requirements. In order to connect to this network, your device must support the following:

  • WPA2-Enterprise (Wi-Fi Protected Access) using AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) - WPA2-Personal is not the same thing
  • EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) methods PEAP/MSCHAPv2 (uses a username+password) or EAP-TLS (uses a certificate)
  • Supports 802.11ac or 802.11n protocols
  • While it is preferred that your device operates in the 5GHz frequency bands, 2.4GHz is supported as well

Registered4OSU is a secure Wi-Fi network that requires WPA2-Personal. To connect, you must first register your device and then use the assigned Wi-Fi password when connecting to the Registered4OSU Wi-Fi network.

WiFi@OSU is not encrypted. Simply open a web browser, review the acceptable use policy, and log in as a guest or visitor.

How is my Wi-Fi data being used?

These wireless networks, including all related equipment and network devices, are provided solely for use authorized by The Ohio State University. Use of these networks constitutes consent to abide by The Ohio State’s Responsible Use of University Computing and Network Resources Policy(link is external). The Ohio State University may monitor use of these networks without notice. Unauthorized disclosure of information, or evidence of unauthorized use may be subject to administrative action, civil action, and/or criminal prosecution.

Why is my Wi-Fi slow?

Many things can result in a slow Wi-Fi experience. If you connect while far from a coverage area, you will connect at very slow speeds, if at all. In general, classrooms, unions and other common indoor gathering areas are well covered.

Another common issue that can result in slow Wi-Fi is outdated software on your device. Make sure you are using the latest operating system available. If you are using Windows, it is especially important to install the latest wireless software or drivers(link is external).

I have a new device that needs to be connected to osuwireless. Is there a way to do that?

When is osuwireless retiring and why are we getting rid of it?

We are targeting Summer 2024 for the retirement of osuwireless. Learn more about the project and the reasons behind this change.(link is external)

Daily Network stats:

20,100+

access points

91,000+

concurrently connected devices

186,000+

unique devices per day

223TB+

terabytes of data transferred daily