Wi-Fi issues on campus (archive)
27 Sep 2021
Information about Wi-Fi issues
Latest information:
Further updates to this issue have been posted on this article:
Update 10 (11.45am, Thursday 30 September)
After extensive consultation with our network provider, we have received the files we need to upgrade our Wi-Fi equipment to work towards resolving the connectivity issues some people are experiencing. Firstly, we need to pre-install the update to our thousands of Wi-Fi Access Points (APs) across campus and in halls before beginning the full installation.
The current plan is for the full installation to start at 8am on Saturday, aiming to complete by 2pm. During this time, there may be a degradation to Wi-Fi service of up to five minutes while each AP updates. Due to the nature of the work, it’s not possible to state at exactly which point during the work that the degradation will occur in which area. This degradation may involve a momentarily weaker Wi-Fi signal or in some cases a temporary loss of connectivity. Wired network connectivity is not affected.
If you notice any issues after the work has happened, please let us know:
- If you’re on campus, report via the IT Guest Portal. Include the word WiFi in the subject, your location, time of the issue and the device(s) with which you’re unable to connect.
- If you’re in halls of residence, report via the Hornet Portal.
We fully understand the impact that this issue had on our staff and students, we thank you for continuing to bear with us while this work takes place, and we’ll post a further update when we have more information.
Important note: We always recommend the usage of eduroam for Wi-Fi connectivity. We understand that some people have been using UoM_WiFi as an alternative, however, the UoM_WiFi network has a limited capacity and will not allow large numbers of people to connect.
Update 9 (3.55pm, Wednesday 29 September)
Throughout the day, we have noticed improvements to connectivity. However we know that some people are still having connectivity issues, so we do not consider the issue resolved.
The manufacturer of our network equipment has recommended a full software update, so we are currently in the stage of planning this work and will post more information about the potential impact here, when we have gone through the process.
Update 8 (12.15pm, Wednesday 29 September)
While we have noticed improvements in Wi-Fi connectivity since yesterday's work took place, we are aware that some people may still be experiencing issues when attempting to connect to eduroam.
If you are still experiencing issues, then we want to know. Visit the IT Guest Portal, click Request Support, Report Issue and fill in the form with the following details:
- Include the word WiFi in the summary (you can include other words too if relevant)
- Building and room number/area where you’re trying to connect
- The types of device(s) you’re unable to connect with, for example, Windows laptop, Macbook, Android phone, iPhone
- If you have previously and recently been able to connect to eduroam in that location
- Whether you’ve tried connecting to eduroam, UoM_WiFi or both
Supplying the information will help with the diagnosis, so we can work to get you back online as soon as possible.
Again, many thanks for bearing with us while we work on this issue.
Update 7 (9.15am, Wednesday 29 September)
Monitoring of the Wi-Fi service continues this morning. Similarly to yesterday, there are multiple people on campus who will continue to test eduroam connectivity, and the Network Operations Centre will also continue to monitor the number of active users. The next major incident meeting will take place at 11.30am today, with a further update this afternoon.
Important note: Some people have been trying the UoM_WiFi network as an alternative to eduroam. The UoM_WiFi network has a limited capacity, and if this is exceeded then people will also experience connectivity issues on that. We would always recommend that eduroam is used when on campus or in halls.
Update 6 (8.20am, Wednesday 29 September)
After significant effort by IT Services, our partners and the equipment manufacturers, we identified the issue and have spent time working to fix it. This took place yesterday and didn't result in any downtime.
We will continue to treat this as a major incident until we have confidence that it has resolved the issue and have staff ready to check that the fix has been successful.
We would like to thank staff and students, not only for their patience whilst we investigated the issue, but all the information they provided that helped us to investigate thoroughly. We recognise the disruption that this has caused and apologise to anyone who has been impacted by it.
Update 5 (4.25pm, Tuesday 28 September)
Working closely with our network provider, we have implemented a change to the setup of our Wi-Fi network. We will continue to keep an eye on the service overnight, and pay particular attention to monitoring it throughout busy times during the day.
Update 4 (11.45am, Tuesday 28 September)
We are continuing to investigate these issues. We have many people onsite in affected locations, feeding back technical information to our network operations centre, to assist with the investigation.
Update 3 (9.40am, Tuesday 28 September)
Investigations continue. We have more technical staff on campus today who will be visiting various University buildings throughout the day, monitoring the service constantly to ensure we have the same experience as our staff and students.
If you are experiencing issues, please contact the IT Support Centre directly, and ensure you have the following information to hand:
- The location in which you're experiencing issues (Building and Room number or area)
- The device you're using to connect (eg Windows laptop, Apple Laptop, iPhone or Android phone)
- Physical/MAC address of the device, if known. (search for wireless MAC address in the IT Support Portal)
You can either telephone the IT Support Centre on 0161 306 5544, or log a request via the Support Portal:
- Log into support.manchester.ac.uk
- Click Request Support
- Choose the General request or IT issue item
- Fill in the details on the form, including the information above.
Update 2 (4.50pm, Monday 27 September)
Investigations into the Wi-Fi issue are still ongoing. Our Network Operations Centre will be constantly monitoring services overnight, and we plan to post an update here by 10am on Tuesday 28 September.
Update 1 (2.55pm, Monday 27 September)
Investigations continue into the Wi-Fi access issues as our highest priority. We're aware of the impact this is having on our staff and students, and will share more information as soon as we have it.
Original message (1.10pm, Monday 27 September)
IT Services are receiving reports that people in a number of University buildings are unable to access Wi-Fi.
This is under investigation, and we'll post more information here as soon as we have it.