Connectivity
Industry standard 802.11 a/b/g wireless data network, secured with SSID and WEP. Access to the campus network and Internet requires authentication and authorization through the UAB enterprise directory.
Terms of service
All persons (including guests) utilizing the UABWiFi network are required to abide by relevant UAB policies, including the Policy for Acceptable Use of Computer and Network Resources (AUP). Guests must agree to the AUP when authenticating to the network. Any abuse of the service or UAB resources by a guest will result in termination of their access, and potential suspension of the associated Allocation account where applicable. Additional setup or programming fees may be required for reactivation.
Privacy
Unencrypted sensitive data should not be transmitted through the UABWiFi network. SSL and/or VPN is strongly recommended for most uses. Guests should expect that their contact information and any records of network usage activity, will be made available to legal authorities if requested through appropriate channels.
Security
Devices connected to the UABWiFi network should have all current OS security patches applied, and the use of personal firewall software is strongly recommended.
ID/Password
Each individual connecting to the UABWiFi network must be authenticated on a daily basis at minimum, with their own valid ID and password from the UAB enterprise directory. There is no option for shared, anonymous, or casual access. For guests, the ID will be their email address and the password is set through UAB's External ID Access Support (XIAS) interface. Guests must establish a XIAS password prior to their arrival on campus and initial use of the service.
SSID/WEP
In order to connect a device to the UABWiFi network, it is necessary to configure an SSID and WEP key into its wireless adapter. Guests must obtain these details from the XIAS interface and configure their systems prior to their arrival on campus and initial use of the service.
Service plans
"Plan A"
Managed Allocation
"Plan B"
Ad-hoc Service
Target Audience
Plan A: Departments that routinely host short-term events such as continuing education classes, conferences, or sports camps. These events typically draw numbers of visitors to campus who request or require Internet access and can make use of Wifi capability.
Plan B: Departments that only occasionally host a visiting faculty, or vendor. These guests need Internet access temporarily and can utilize Wifi with their laptop in order make a presentation, contact company resources, or check their email.
Provisioning
Plan A: Guest Wifi Allocation account will be established which allows designated departmental staff to assign Wifi access for their visitors, through the use of an authenticated Web site at https://commservices.comm.uab.edu/ServiceRequest/login.aspx, without ongoing requests to UABIT. The Allocation account will be provisioned with a maximum number of slots which can be in use at any given time
Plan B: Departmental finance officers and/or their designees can request Wifi access for a visitor on an as-needed basis, by submitting a service order to UABIT via an authenticated Web site at https://commservices.comm.uab.edu/ServiceRequest/login.aspx
Turnaround
Plan A: Five business days to establish a new Allocation account, overnight for guest access activation.
Plan B: Overnight for activating access.
Cost
Plan A: Setup fee of $20 per allocation account, and then $8.50 per month per available access slot
Plan B: $1.50 per day per guest