Wireless at Pomona (CINE)

Pomona uses the CINE wireless network, run by the 5-College Consortium. There are many wireless hotspots peppered around popular areas on campus (see below), although reception inside buildings is spotty due to California's required earthquake-proof construction.

Important notes

CINE is not connected to the Pomona network, although it shares the same internet connection. In order to access any Pomona network resources such as your userspace or lab printers, first set up a virtual private connection (VPN) with our network. Nicely enough, this works even if you're off-campus!

Wireless locations

For a list of current Pomona wireless hotspots (e.g. places where you can get a connection), see http://wireless.pomona.edu.

Unfortunately, the earthquake-proof construction of our dormitories makes it very hard to spread a wireless signal through them. (You may notice the same problem with your cell phone or cordless phone.) Occasionally you will be able to use the Pomona wireless network in dorms that are close to a public access point, but you shouldn't count on it as your primary method of connecting. Besides, the wired connection through the walls is much faster!

Connecting to CINE

First, register your wireless card with CINE.

Once you've registered your computer, find one of the hotspots around Pomona. When you're at that location, your computer should detect an open network named CINE. This is the Claremont Colleges wireless network.

If you have a PC, your computer should pop up with a little message balloon near the clock in the bottom corner of your screen, telling you that one or more wireless networks are in range of the computer. Click on that balloon, and you'll get the following box:

The other networks you'll see in various places around campus belong to people who've set up their own wireless routers. If they're smart and have protected them, they'll be indicated by the lock icon on your list, and you'll need the password to get in. (This is why you should always require a password if you have a personal wireless network.) Double-click on CINE. It will tell you that this network is unsecure and your information might be visible to others. We know that, but there are ways of dealing with it (see below). Click Connect anyway. Your computer will take a few moments to establish the connection, but then you'll be peachy. Best of all, now your computer will know to automatically connect to CINE any time it detects the network, so you only have to do this once.

If you have a Mac and your laptop doesn't automatically connect (or ask you to connect) to the CINE network, then click on the Wireless icon in the right part of the toolbar at the top of the screen (it should look like a slice of pizza, but white). You should see a list of networks there and CINE should be one of the options. Click on CINE and your computer should connect you to the network.

What hardware do I need to connect to the wireless network?

In order to connect to the Pomona wireless network you will need a 802.11b compatible card. (Note: 802.11g and 802.11n are both compatible with 802.11b.) Most new laptops come with wireless cards these days. If you have a laptop that contains Centrino technology, WiFi, AirPort, AirPort Extreme, or wireless, you most likely have the necessary hardware to connect to the wireless network.

If you don't have this hardware built in, fear not! You can buy an external wireless card at stores such as CompUSA, Best Buy, or Fry's Electronics. A very basic card can be purchased for as little as $20, while top-of-the-line cards are in the vicinity of $100. A quality card from a reputable manufacturer such as Linksys, D-Link, NETGEAR, Belkin, or SMC will probably cost around $30 or $40. These cards plug into PC slots on the side of your laptop, and provide all the same functionality as built-in wireless cards.

An external wireless card

How do I register for wireless?

Go to http://wirelessreg.pomona.edu. You will be asked for your username, password, and MAC address.

If you don't register your wireless card you will be able to connect to anything hosted on campus (www.pomona.edu, its.pomona.edu/faq, moodle.pomona.edu) but nothing outside of the 5Cs.

How secure is CINE?

Bad news: Not very. All the information you're receiving and transmitting is broadcast into the greater "out there," allowing anyone to "listen in" and grab information. While 802.11 wireless connections do support two different forms on encryption (WEP and WPA), neither is very hard to crack. Also, the Claremont Colleges' network does not use either of these forms of encryption.

Good news: You can add your own protection by setting up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) with Pomona's servers over your wireless connection. This system is much more secure, and has the added benefit that you will be able to access your userspace, print to network printers, and do everything else you are normally able to do while directly connected to Pomona's network. See our VPN page for instructions on setting this up. This of course isn't a perfect solution, but it's a huge improvement over WEP/WPA.

How do I connect to Pomona network resources from the wireless network?

Due to the security issues associated with wireless networking, the wireless network is generally not allowed access to Pomona College network resources, such as file shares, printers, etc. In order to access these resources from the wireless network you will need to first connect to the wireless network and then set up a VPN into the Pomona network.

Can I set up my own wireless network in my room?

Please see our router registration page.