Mac OS X Configuration for IUP's Wireless Network

Requirements:

Wireless access in OS X requires a Mac with an Airport or Airport Extreme card. Although some third-party cards are available, they may require the installation of drivers not included in OS X. Additionally, your Mac should be running OS X 10.3 (Panther). Previous versions of OS X have difficulty correctly connecting to IUP's VPN server.

Creating a New Location and Entering the WEP Key:

First create a new network location. To create a new location open the Apple menu and highlight Location and then Network Preferences. From the Network Preferences pane click on the Location pull-down menu and then select New Location. When prompted for a name you may choose any value, though it is recommended to choose something recognizable, such as "IUP Wireless."

After creating the new location click the Location pull-down menu once again and select your newly created location. Once changing the location go to the Show pull-down menu and choose Airport. A screen similar to the one below should appear.

By Default, join should be changed from Automatic to A Specific Network. The network name is case sensitive and should be entered as shown above. The WEP key should be entered in the Password field and prefixed with a dollar sign, signifying that it is hexadecimal. For security purposes, be sure that Allow this computer to create networks is unchecked.

Though usually a default setting, verify that DHCP is used to acquire an IP address under the TCP/IP tab. It is also a good idea to make Appletalk inactive, unless you would like to share files with other users.

After the previous steps have been completed click the Apply Now button. From the Apple menu change your location to IUP Wireless. Assuming you are close to an access point, a wireless connection should now be established. Signal strength can be measured by checking the Airport icon in the menu bar or through Internet Connect (accessible from the Airport icon's pull-down menu).

Establishing a Connection to the VPN Server:

Before browsing the Internet it necessary to establish a connection with IUP's VPN server. To configure VPN access click on the Airport icon in the menu bar and then open Internet Connect. Next, click the PPTP tab. Your screen should resemble the one pictured below:

The server address should be vpn.iup.edu and account name iupmsd\username. Your password is the same one used to login to computers on campus; it is not necessarily the same as your E-Mail password. By checking the show VPN status in menu bar you can easily connect or disconnect from the VPN server without loading Internet Connect first.

Click the connect button and your Mac should now be able to access the Internet. Please note that you may need to manually change your location when using another network connection, such as your home's. This can be done easily from the Apple menu. The WEP key should be automatically stored in your keychain, however make sure that VPN settings are saved upon exiting.

Optional Tweaking (Proxies, Extended Battery Life):

If you experience sluggish browsing even with a strong signal, you may want to consider using IUP's caching proxy. This can be configured in the network preferences panel as shown below:

Take note that these settings are made only for A) The IUP Wireless Location and B) PPTP, not Airport, Built-In Ethernet, or the Internal Modem. Settings for the Web Proxy and Secure Web Proxy are identical.

If you are using a notebook, slightly longer battery life can be achieved by disabling built-in ethernet and the internal modem. However make sure to only disable these devices under the IUP Wireless location.