Wireless Access to the USC Network

You can access USC's wireless network from outdoor common areas, libraries, auditoria, on-campus eateries, and the University Village Food Court.

For wireless access locations on the University Park Campus (UPC) and the Health Sciences Campus (HSC), see the Wireless Locations page. USC has recently expanded its network to include the Orange County Campus (OCC).

Visit the Upcoming Wireless Locations page for a list of locations that will have wireless access in the near future.

USC's wireless network is open to all users. Access to USC's wireless network is free to all users; no account is required. Users are required only to acknowledge the university's terms of use once a week.

Effective July 1, 2007, USC faculty, students and staff have the option to register the MAC address of their wireless card in order to avoid being required to acknowledge the university's terms of use once a week.

All users should be aware that the USC wireless network is an open network. Traffic that passes through it is not encrypted, and users should expect no privacy on this network. Your access to and use of the USC wireless network is at your sole risk.

If you wish to improve the security of your communications, consider (1) encrypting any confidential or sensitive information; (2) visiting only secure Web pages—those whose URL begins with https://; (3) using USC Web Mail, which provides encryption for you; and (4) logging in to UNIX shell accounts using SSH or Kerberized Telnet (rather than basic Telnet). If you are unfamiliar with these security measures, please contact the ITS Customer Support Center at 213-740-5555.

USC faculty, students, and staff may access USC resources by logging in through the VPN, which is available to the USC community for free download.

ITS recommends that all users of the wireless network maintain a firewall, as well as antivirus and antispyware software.

USC faculty, students, and staff may find links to free firewall and antivirus software, along with additional information, on the ITS security page.

Instructions for Connecting to USC Wireless

Instructions will vary by operating system and version. For instructions, please locate your operating system in the menu on the right-hand side of the page. Please note that the only version of Windows XP that ITS supports is Windows XP with Service Pack 2.

Getting Help

If you have problems or questions related to your USC Wireless connection, contact the ITS Customer Support Center at 213-740-5555 or consult@usc.edu.

Last updated: Monday, March 24, 2008, 13:47PM PDT