Students having trouble connecting to Missouri Southern’s wireless network might want to check their equipment and their electronics.

Otherwise, the network is running well, said University officials.

“We haven’t really had any serious problems since we got it set up,” said Nathan Achey, network/identity administrator.

Achey said there are always glitches at the beginning of the semester.

“We have had no major problems,” he said.

Achey said one of the biggest problems the computer center has is the students’ personal computers.

“Sometimes they have external power switches for the wireless and they’ll have them turned off,” he said.

Achey said some students have Internet service providers that use special software.

“It screws up the wireless,” he said.

Achey said the computer center has had to take two to three students off the network due to viruses.

“It’s a little less than normal,” he said.

Jimmie Collins, server and security technician, said some electronic devices have the same frequency as the wireless network.

“Occasionally, we have TVs and phones that sometimes interfere with the signals, mostly cordless phones,” he said. “We adjust the access points.”

Achey said students can do anything on the Internet that is legal. He said students cannot download illegally.

“We try to stop most of the peer-to-peer stuff,” he said.

In order to access the wireless network, Achey said the computer center recommends using the secure network.

“WPA is the secure one,” he said.

To access the network, students must have a username, which is on the information service Web site. Achey said once students have access the wireless, they will have to enter in their MOSO IDs.

“You have to sign in every time the PC is booted up,” he said.

Achey said there are three different wireless cards – A, B and G. He said A and G work on the WPA network, and the B card is the older one.

“That one (B card) will only work on the unsecure (network),” he said.

If a laptop is more than three years old, Achey said it probably has a B wireless card.

“If that bothers them, they can buy an add-on card,” he said.

If students have questions regarding the wireless or Ethernet networks, contact the computer center at 659-4444 or e-mail at [email protected].

“We are not able to work on PCs anymore,” Achey said. “We can help them with ideas, but we can’t do it for them.”