Having trouble connecting?
Run through the steps in this checklist to check for some of the most common problems that prevent your computer from connecting to RedRover-Secure.
Do you have a wireless card?
- Your wireless card may be a card that you physically attach to your laptop or it may already be built-in to your laptop.
- Check your laptop documentation to find out if you have a built-in wireless card.
Is your wireless card functioning properly?
- To find out if your wireless card is working properly, try using regular (nonsecure) RedRover or RedRover Guest.
- If you can connect to the Internet using RedRover or RedRover Guest, begin by checking if your operating system and wireless card software is up-to-date.
Is your wireless card RedRover-Secure friendly?
Check that you have a wireless card that will work with RedRover-Secure.
- In CIT tests, the D-Link DWL-G630 card worked most easily with RedRover-Secure
- Macintosh AirPort cards should work with RedRover-Secure, but your card may need a software update
- Cards that did not work in CIT tests were:
- Dell 1130 built-in wireless
- Dell 1150 built-in wireless
- 3Com 3CRXJK10075.
- Your wireless card and driver must be able to support WPA with TKIP for wireless encryption; read through the documentation that came with your card to ensure that it is capable of this kind of encryption.
- RedRover-Secure does not support pre-shared keys (WPA-PSK) but can use other WPA encryption methods such as TKIP and AES.
Is your operating system software and wireless card software up-to-date?
- Does your operating system have the latest patches and updates? For Windows, run Windows Update; for Mac, run Software Update.
- Is your wireless card's software (also known as a driver) up-to-date? Check the web site of the card's manufacturer to update the software.
- Some older wireless cards don't support WPA encryption. If your wireless card doesn't support WPA, you won't be able to use it to connect to RedRover-Secure.
Are your security certificates up-to-date?
- You need to have both the Thawte Premium Server CA and Equifax Secure Certificate Authority security certificates installed.
- Check which certificates are installed in Windows XP.
- Check which certificates are installed in Windows Vista.
- Check which certificates are installed in Mac OS X.
If you are using a Macintosh and are still having
problems with your connection, call the CIT Contact Center (607) 255-8990
or e-mail them at helpdesk@cornell.edu.
If you are using Windows, make sure Windows is
managing your wireless connection by following the steps below.
Is Windows managing your wireless connection?
Some cards come with their own wireless management software; RedRover-Secure requires Windows to manage the wireless connections.
- Turn off any extra software that comes with your wireless card.
- Follow the instructions below to set Windows to manage your wireless connection.
- Click Start, then select Run.
- Next, type services.msc and click OK.
- In the window that appears next, scroll down to locate Wireless Zero Configuration.
- Double-click on Wireless Zero Configuration.
- Select Automatic as the Startup type.
- Click Start. You may be asked to disable the wireless software that came with your wireless card - read this notice carefully and choose to disable your wireless card's software.
- Click OK and close the window.
If you would like to find out more about SecureW2 or resolve technical problems by yourself, visit the SecureW2 forum, http://securew2.org/forum/ (this is not a Cornell forum; it is provided by the SecureW2 developer).