Duke Travelers Can Use 'Eduroam' For Wireless Access

When Neil Prentice visited the London School of Economics this spring, all he needed was his Duke NetID and password to securely access the Internet, check his email and even stream video to his iPad.

Prentice, director of information technology for the Sanford School of Public Policy, used the eduroam (education roaming) service, which provides encrypted wireless network access for users at Duke and dozens of participating institutions worldwide.

"I made sure to set it up in advance of going and tested it on the Duke campus before I went," said Prentice, who spent a week in England helping to run a study-abroad program for another university. "Once I got there, I was really depending on my iPhone and iPad, and with eduroam I had full access to their high-speed wireless network and was able to work just like I could on the Duke campus."

As faculty and students get ready to depart Durham for the summer, they should consult the eduroam website to see if the university they're traveling to, or one nearby, is part of the eduroam consortium, Prentice said.

Duke users also should make sure to configure their computers for eduroam access before they leave the Duke campus, Prentice said. More information is available on the OIT website.

"Eduroam provides good access to high-quality wifi while traveling, and that's important because connectivity is always an issue," Prentice said. "Hotel networks are generally horrible in terms of speed and quality, and the cost of wifi while traveling can be exorbitant."

Visitors to Duke from other participating institutions can use their credentials from their home institution to log in to eduroam while at Duke. They do not need to register as a guest or obtain any Duke credentials in order to use the service.