University of Southern California

ITS Information Technology Services

A division of the Office of the Chief Information Officer

Connecting to USC Wireless using Windows 7

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 the USC Wireless Coverage map.

Please note that the USC Wireless network is an open network. All traffic is transmitted in plain text with no encryption. Use caution when deciding what information to send over the network. For added security and access to USC IP protected resources, please use the Cisco AnyConnect VPN client.

Configuring Windows 7 for Wireless Connections

To configure Windows 7 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. wirelessstart.jpg

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

    4. wirelessconnect.jpg

  4. In order to connect automatically to USC Wireless in the future, check the box Connect automatically. Click Connect.

    5. wirelesssave.jpg

  5. 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. Press Enter.
  3. Type getmac -v. Press Enter.
    Result: Your MAC address/physical address is listed as the physical address.
      4. 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.

Note: 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:
February 03, 2011

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Wireless

The use of all USC computing resources is governed by the USC Computing Policies.