Wireless Network Overview

Before You Start 

You'll need: 

  • an active PennKey
  • administrative access to your device (faculty/staff)
  • to be in a location with access to AirPennNet

Penn's wireless network (AirPennNet) gives you high speed access to the Internet from your own laptop, notebook computer, or wireless handheld device while on campus.

AirPennNet Vs. AirPennNet Guest: Which One Should You Use?

When connecting to wireless at Penn you'll notice you have four different options in most areas. But which one should you use? The four options, and when they should be used, are as follows: 

  • AirPennNet: Students, faculty, and staff should connect to AirPennNet when possible. More secure and robust, it is PennKey authenticated.  Installation and configuration instructions are listed below.
  • AirPennNet-Guest: As the name suggests, this option is for guests at the University. The AirPennNet-Guest service is NOT recommended for students who want to connect to the wireless network. Users must register themselves on this network every day; however, it does not require any configuration because it is an open network with limited bandwidth and no encryption. Most areas on campus have a limited number of IP addresses for AirPennNet-Guest and you may be unable to connect during peak capacity. For more information please see: The AirPennNet-Guest network at Penn
  • AirPennNet-Device: AirPennNet-Device is specifically designed for devices that cannot connect to the normal AirPennNet Network. This can include devices such as gaming consoles, tablets, and more. You'll need to follow these directions to register the device's IP address to gain access.
  • Connect to AirPennNet: Use this option to configure access to AirPennNet. Instructions are below.
    Note: this network is designed solely to configure your device; it does not provide an internet connection.

Accessing the AirPennNet Wireless Network

To access the AirPennNet wifi network on campus, you'll need to authenticate yourself using your PennKey and password. (To reset your password or get more information on PennKey, see our article on PennKey Accounts.)

MacOS: 

Windows: 

Android:

iOS:

Reconnect to AirPennNet

Due to some security upgrades you may need to reconnect your University-owned and managed Windows computer to AirPennNet.

Windows:

All other Devices:

For any device other than a University-owned and managed Windows computer follow the appropriate steps listed in the Accessing the AirPennNet Wireless Network section of this article.

Supported Devices

Devices that can connect to AirPennNet include:

  • Windows (7, 8/8.1, 10)
  • Mac OS X  (10.11.3 or higher)
  • iPhone, iPod, and iPad  (10.3 or higher)
  • Android  (4.0 and higher)
  • Kindle Fire 
  • Ubuntu  (9.04 and newer)

AirPennNet-Device

For more information regarding AirPennNet-Device, please reference ISC's article

To see what devices may require AirPennNet-Device, please reference Connectivity Options.

Troubleshooting

Our Troubleshooting Wireless Issues article lists a number of steps you can take if you're encountering issues. If these article doesn't resolve your issue reach out to your Wharton Computing rep.

Wireless Coverage at Penn

For more information on AirPennNet, please visit the Penn Computing website or if you have any questions email support@wharton.upenn.edu.

Eduroam at Penn

Eduroam is a wireless network shared by multiple universities so that, when traveling, you can have easy and free access to the internet. Please keep in mind that for the best experience setup Eduroam at your home university.

Questions about Eduroam?

Contact: Help @ ISC

Email: help@isc.upenn.edu

Website: https://www.isc.upenn.edu/how-to/using-wireless-penn