NOMAD Wireless FAQs

Where is Nomad wireless networking available on campus?
Is there a charge for establishing a Nomad wireless connection?
How fast is a wireless connection?
Are there drawbacks to wireless communications?
What do I need to do to establish a wireless connection?
What kind/brand of wireless card should I purchase?
Will other types of wireless cards work? Is there support for them?
Can I do everything with a wireless connection that I could do with a wired connection?
Does it matter how many people use the wireless network at one time? Can it handle hundreds of users logged in at once?
I'm not even getting 11Mbps. Is my card defective? I think I have bad signal strength. What should I do?
Why is my wireless connection disrupted more often than my wired network connection?
Are there restrictions on using the Nomad wireless network?
I've already registered my computer on the wired network. Do I have to register it again on the Nomad wireless network?
Will my Windows CE or other hand-held device work with Nomad? What about my Linux laptop?

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Where is Nomad wireless networking available on campus?

The Nomad wireless network is available throughout the Notre Dame campus in residence halls, classroom, laboratory and faculty buildings as well as recreational and social buildings. For a map of all Nomad wireless locations please click here.

Is there a charge for establishing a Nomad wireless connection?

No, there is no charge to establish a connection to Nomad for any Notre Dame student, faculty member or staff person. You must have a valid Notre Dame NetID.

How fast is a Nomad wireless connection? I have an 11mbps card but can only seem to get files at 5mbps speeds.

The 11mb speed is a theoretical maximum speed. You are very unlikely to achieve that speed in a real-world use of Nomad. With an 11mbps card you should not expect to see speeds in excess of 5mbps with any regularity.

Are there drawbacks to wireless communications?

Yes, unfortunately! Although this technology offers a great deal of convenience and flexibility, there are tradeoffs. Less bandwidth is available in a wireless network, which is shared by all wireless network users in a given area. This is most often felt where large file transfers or high-bandwidth multimedia applications are used. Also, security of wireless networks is more difficult to achieve, and installing network wiring to access points requires long lead times and coordination with some combination of OIT and Facilities Maintenance.

What do I need to do to establish a wireless connection?

You may need to purchase a wireless Ethernet card. There is no charge to establish a connection, but you must have the proper Ethernet card for your machine. In order to access the Notre Dame network you need to register your wireless card at: http://ncr.nd.edu. If you have used wireless on another network, you may also need to follow these setup instructions to reconfigure your setup for NOMAD.

What kind/brand of wireless card should I purchase?

For the Macintosh, OIT recommends and supports the Apple Airport card. You can also use the Orinoco (Lucent) 11Mbps PC card (Silver Turbo). Many of the new Windows-based laptops have wireless capabilities already installed and need no additional cards.

Will other types of wireless cards work? Is there support for them?

Yes, as long as the cards are IEEE 802.11b "Wi-Fi" Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) compliant. In theory, all cards that support these standards should work.

Can I do everything with a wireless connection that I could do with a wired connection?

Yes. However, the Nomad wireless network is primarily for mobility. It is a shared resource that is complimentary to but not a replacement for the campus wired network. We discourage users from running any high bandwidth service (large file downloads of music or videos, on-line gaming, etc.) on Nomad. We strongly recommend that you establish a wired connection for your machine and those activities. A single person using Nomad for high bandwidth functions will slow down Nomad performance for everyone in that vicinity.

Does it matter how many people use the wireless network at one time? Can it handle hundreds of users logged in at once?

The Nomad network can handle hundreds of users logged in at one time, however, the more people actively using it, the slower it gets. Performance changes are more easily noticed on an 11Mbps shared network like Nomad. Typically, an access point (there are over 800 access points on campus) can handle 40 computers without losing performance.

I'm not even getting 11Mbps. Is my card defective? I think I have bad signal strength. What should I do?

11Mbps is a theoretical maximum speed. With a 11Mbps card, you will probably see a maximum speed of approximately 5Mbps. If you are in a building where wireless is supported but you are not getting a good connection because of poor signal strength, you should report the location to the OIT Help Desk at 631-8111.

Why is my wireless connection disrupted more often than my wired network connection?

There can be many factors that would cause disruption including large metal objects, trees, cordless phones, or microwave ovens that are operating in the same 2.4 GHz frequency range, plus multiple users connected to the same access point and sharing 11Mbps of bandwidth--all these factors can disrupt wireless connections. Remember, the wireless network is not a replacement for the wired network. If you are running a machine from a fixed location, it is recommended that you use a traditional Ethernet connection.

Are there restrictions on using the Nomad wireless network?

Yes. There are guidelines and policies in place that explain the restrictions for using the wireless network on campus. These guidelines can be reviewed by accessing the website and clicking on the appropriate link under Wireless Policies and Guidelines.

I've already registered my computer on the wired network. Do I have to register it again on the Nomad wireless network?

Yes. Each Ethernet card has a unique address. For your Nomad connection to work correctly you must register your wireless Ethernet address. For more information on registering your Ethernet address, please click here.

Will my Windows CE or other hand-held device work with Nomad? What about my Linux laptop?

You can use most Windows and other hand-held devices with Nomad. However, because these platforms are not specifically supported, the OIT Help Desk and the Residence Hall Computer Assistants will not provide assistance with these devices.