WMU > OIT > Rules & Policies

Wireless Western Guidelines

Effective 4/2001

The Office of Information Technology has implemented the Wireless Western system at WMU. While this system allows access to WMU computing facilities from mobile or portable computers, it also means that a portion of radio airspace at WMU serves as the transport medium for a part of the campus network.

Accordingly, certain computing policies now apply to that segment of the radio airspace on campus. This document alerts members of the WMU community to the potential problems that could result from devices using the same radio frequency.

Wireless Western uses the FCC unlicensed 2.4 GHz Industrial/Scientific/Medical (ISM) band. Transmissions within that band conform to the IEEE 802.11 DSSS (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum) wireless LAN specification. Certain other "wireless" devices also employ the same 2.4 GHz frequency band and can cause interference to users of Wireless Western. This includes but is not limited to other IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN devices, cordless telephones, cameras, and audio speakers.

In order to assure the highest level of service to Wireless Western users, OIT needs help from the WMU community in minimizing the potential interference from those devices. OIT requests that the use of all other 2.4 GHz devices be discontinued in university-owned buildings. In cases where the device is being used for a specific teaching or research application, OIT will work with faculty to determine whether there are circumstances under which use of the device may still be accommodated without causing interference to Wireless Western users.

OIT will approach the shared use of the 2.4 GHz radio frequency in the same way that it manages the shared use of the wired network. While we will not actively monitor use of the airspace for potential interfering devices, we will seek out the user of a specific device if it is causing interference and disrupting the campus network. In these cases, OIT reserves the right to restrict the use of all 2.4 GHz radio devices in university-owned buildings and all outdoor spaces on the WMU campus. See the OIT policies and procedures for information on WMU computing policies, including those related to responsible use of shared resources, such as the 2.4 GHz radio frequency in this case.