Wireless Access to the USC Network - Windows Vista

You can gain wireless access to the USC Network from most outdoor common areas, libraries, auditoriums, on campus eateries and the University Village Food Court.

For access locations, see UPC and HSC wireless locations and Orange County Campus locations. Wireless access is expanding continuously, check the Upcoming Wireless Locations page for the latest information.

Special Note regarding the use of Windows Vista on the USC Wireless Network

Due to potential issues caused by the way that Windows Vista handles wireless connections, ITS recommends that Vista users register their laptops for use on the USC wireless network.

For information on how to register your computer's wireless card, please see Registering Your MAC Address/Physical Address.

Configuring Windows Vista for Wireless Connections

To configure Windows Vista for a wireless connection, perform the following steps:

1. Verify that the wireless network card is present and turned on.
   Note: Most laptops have a switch that allows you to easily turn your wireless card off and on. This switch may be on the side or front of the laptop; sometimes a particular key combination acts as the switch (for example, Fn + F2 on many Dell laptops). Ensure that your wireless card is turned on before proceeding.


2. Click the Start menu and select Connect To.





3. Select USC Wireless from the list of wireless connections. Click Connect.





4. You will receive a warning that USC Wireless is an unsecured network. Choose the option to Connect Anyway.





5. In order to connect automatically to USC Wireless in the future, click Save this network.





6. If this is your first time connecting to USC Wireless, you will be asked to set the network location. Choose Public Location.

Registering Your MAC Address/Physical Address
Registration of your MAC, or physical address, is not currently required. However, registration is highly recommended so that network notifications can be quickly directed to you. To register, open a web browser application (i.e., Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari). Go to the Network Registration Page. Enter your USC username and password and click Submit. A success message will appear to notify you that your MAC address/Physical address has been registered.

If you are unable to access the Network Registration Page, you can still register your computer for wireless by going to the Dynamic Host Registration page on a computer currently connected to the network. You will need your computer's wireless MAC address to to do this.

Determining Your MAC Address/Physical Address

Follow the steps below to determine your MAC address/physical address:

1. Open the Start menu and type cmd in the search box.
2. Hit Enter.
   Result: A Command Prompt window will appear (see Figure 1).
3. Type getmac -v. Hit Enter.
   Result: Your MAC address/physical address is listed as the physical address.
NOTE: Some computers may have more than one Ethernet card/adapter, usually a wireless as well as a wired Ethernet card. If this is the case, use the MAC address/physical address listed under the Wireless Network Connection.
For example: Physical address: 00-B0-E8-F7-AC-32
4. Write this number down. You will need it to register.

WARNING: Your data and personal information are at risk unless you use VPN Software. ITS strongly recommends that you use VPN when using your wireless connection.

Getting Help

To get help with wireless access to the USC Network, contact the ITS Customer Support Center at 213-740-5555 or consult@usc.edu.

Last updated: Tuesday, September 08, 2009, 10:22AM PDT