On the go? Here’s how to stay online
Eduroam: Faculty, staff and students can now connect to the internet at any participating institution.
From the ever-present emails to digitized resources, the internet now plays a fundamental role in academic life, but until recently, travelling to another institution meant disconnnecting.
With that in mind, Concordia joined Eduroam in 2011. Eduroam allows faculty, staff and students from around the world to get online quickly and securely at any participating university.
The service — powered by CANARIE, a government-subsidized non-profit that provides high-speed, high-capacity fiber-optic networks to researchers and educators across Canada — uses members’ home credentials. For Concordians, connecting is as easy as typing in their Netname and password.
“There was a constant demand for such a service,” says Mike Babin, the university’s director of infrastructure and operations with Instructional and Information Technology Services.
Eduroam does not require users to sign up. Instead, when visiting a member institution, they need only select that institution’s Eduroam SSID (on their wireless network) and use their Concordia credentials to log in. (Users are advised to consult the network’s set-up instructions beforehand.)
But the service also works the other way around.
As Babin explains, “Eduroam is very convenient for our guests as well.”
Visitors simply need to configure their computers — or iOS devices — before accessing Concordia’s network. From there, they’ll be able to check their email and browse the web.
Babin notes that the robust network is ready for the increase in traffic. “Our infrastructure will definitely be able to handle the connectivity needs of our visiting scholars,” he says.
Interested in learning more about Eduroam? Contact the IITS service desk at 514-848-2424, ext. 7613, or write to help@concordia.ca for assistance or information.