Connecting to FalconAir with a Macintosh

All current Macintosh laptops and most on campus have built in wireless capability. Apple calls it AirPort, but it's more commonly known as Wi-Fi or 802.11. These instructions are written for connecting to UWRF's wireless network, FalconAir, but can also be applied to connecting to others.

Finding Airport

Look for the AirPort icon () in the menubar towards the right side of the screen. It will be gray if you are not currently connected to a network. If wireless networking is turned off, it will be hollow (). If you see the icon, proceed to "Connecting to the Network" below.

If you can't find the AirPort icon, please visit the Mac wireless trouble-shooting page for instructions on enabling it.

Connecting to the Network

To connect, click on the AirPort icon in the menubar. If AirPort was off, choose "Turn AirPort On". If you've never connected to FalconAir before the following message should appear in a few seconds:

Click "Yes" and wait a few seconds for it to connect. Once you click "Yes" you will not see this message again. After connecting, you will need to authenticate with your web browser.

Closed Networks

FalconAir and many other networks are open and will appear in the menu. If you are at UWRF and FalconAir does not appear, you are probably out of range. If you are trying to connect to another network, it may be hidden, or closed. Get the name of the network and any needed security settings from the internet provider at your location. Choose "Other…" from the Airport menu, then enter the network name (also called SSID), security settings, and password if needed.

Authenticating to the Network

One you connect to the network, open your web browser. Regardless of what your homepage is set to, you will be directed to the FalconAir login page. Log in with your Falcon account (or assigned guest access account). Until you've logged in at the FalconAir authentication page, you will not be able to reach other websites or use other network services. You will have to re-authenticate periodically (approximately once per week) to continue using the wireless network.

Apple AirPort support (off-site)
Troubleshooting connecting with Macintosh

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