Wireless Networking

MiraCosta College offers wireless "Wi-Fi" network access to students, staff and faculty. The wireless network is available throughout all college sites: Oceanside, San Elijo and the Community Learning Center.

Using Wireless

Wireless network services became available in November 2004.

MiraCosta College operates two wireless networks: One wireless network is available to both students and employees, and may require minimal configuration prior to use. The second wireless network is secured by WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access) and is available only to staff and faculty, and may require some configuration prior to use. Please see the FAQ's for our recommendations on keeping your data safe on our wireless network.

In order to use the wireless network, you will need to meet the following requirements:

• A valid account (students will use their SURF login, employees will use their Outlook account)
• An operating system that supports WPA2 (Windows XP or later, MAC OS 10 or later)
• Current OS patches, updates and virus protection

Instructions for connecting your computer to the wireless network:

• Accessing the MCC Public Wireless Network from a PC Laptop (PDF)
• Accessing the MCC Secure Wireless Network from a PC Laptop (PDF)
• Accessing the MCC Public Wireless Network from a Mac Laptop (PDF)
• Accessing the MCC Secure Wireless Network from a MAC Laptop (PDF)

Wireless FAQs

Does wireless access cover the entire building?

Not necessarily. Wireless networks operate in a manner similar to cellular telephone service in that you may occasionally find dead spots in covered areas. These are usually caused by electronic interference or physical signal blockers such as large metal appliances or steel building infrastructure. As demand for wireless connectivity grows, the MCC wireless network will be expanded to provide better coverage for existing locations.

Are wireless networks secure?

Users should consider wireless networks insecure and use computer applications that provide their own protection, we recommend you use encryption tools such as SSH, SFTP, or SSL. We do offer staff and faculty access to a WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access) network that is secure to insure security of district applications and data. To find out more about WPA2, check out the Wi-Fi Alliance.

Will MiraCosta install virus protection on your laptop?

MiraCosta will not install District-owned software on non District-owned mobile computing devices as this violates our software licensing agreements.

Wireless Policies

MiraCosta College wireless networking service is being offered according to the following terms:

• Wireless services are subject to the same rules and policies that govern other communications services at MiraCosta College:
  • Board Policy_3720 Computer and Network Use and the Associated Administrative Procedures AP_3720 AP_3750 [Administrative Procedure]
    
• Acceptable Use Policy from the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC)
• Use of the MiraCosta College wireless network requires the user to have one of the following valid accounts: Students need their SURF ID and SURF Password. College employees need their Outlook user name and password.
• Users of the wireless network are required to keep their virus protection up-to-date as well as keep operating system patches and security patches installed. A signed Acceptable Use Policy will be required before college employees will be given access to MiraCosta's WPA2 Wi-Fi network.
• Wireless networks are installed for convenience and as a complement to the wired network. Wireless networks provide shared bandwidth that does not provide the same performance as a wired switched network. Wireless networks are not intended to replace the wired networking that is required as part of the College’s networking standards.
• The policy of MiraCosta College is that only authorized Academic Information Technology staff may install, manage or change the network infrastructure. Unauthorized changes to the network can seriously compromise the reliability, performance, security and availability of the network and its services. It is a violation of this policy for departments or individuals to install their own wireless access points, or modify the existing WLAN infrastructure in any way.
• 802.11b/gn access points have been deployed. As technology advances and as new standards are introduced, upgrades to new technologies in the wireless network may occur.

Please contact Steve Schultz, Technical Services Coordinator with any questions or issues about wireless networking (sschultz@miracosta.edu, 760.795.6737 or, x6737).