Josh Falcone – General Assignment Reporter –
Southern senior Erika Shore has had continual problems using the Wi-Fi Internet around Southern’s campus.
“I can never seem to connect to the internet with my laptop,” she said.
The Wi-Fi Internet offered on the Southern campus is problematic for many students, both on-campus residents and commuters.
Shore said she has Wi-Fi connectivity problems in her residence hall, Wilkinson.
“My computer will say I have a perfect connection, three full bars,” she said, “but whenever I attempt to connect to the internet or use a program that uses the internet, it says ‘can not connect’ or ‘no internet connection detected’ and it’s really annoying.”
According to the Southern Office of Internet Technology website, the wireless coverage for Southern residence halls is limited, while the classroom buildings, Buley Library, Lyman Center, and Adanti Student Center have full wireless coverage.
Shore said she has had Wi-Fi problems in these buildings as well.
“I have had problems all over Southern’s campus, not just my dorm,” Shore said. “I’ve also had connectivity issues in Engelman and in the Student Center.”
Freshman Maggie Durso-Smith, who lives in Neff Hall, said she also has had issues with the Wi-Fi at Southern, and she decided to do something about it.
“It’s absolutely terrible,” Durso-Smith said. “I couldn’t take it anymore, so I use my own Wi-Fi now.”
Math professor Klay Kruczek said he believes the Wi-Fi at Southern is not up to par.
“It’s not up to what it should be,” Kruczek said.
Senior Matt Ursone also said he has problems with the Wi-Fi regularly. Ursone, who commutes, said he has a two-hour period between his classes on Tuesday and Thursday and he would catch up with assignments using his laptop in the Student Center food court.
“Sometimes when I have a ton of stuff to get done for my classes,” Ursone said, “I would go grab something to eat in the food court and use my laptop along with the Wi-Fi to finish something up. But most of the time, I would stare at my computer screen fuming at a ‘no internet connection’ message, due to the lackluster wireless Internet.”
Ursone said that he could get the Wi-Fi to work in the food court, but only around 40 percent of the time. After having constant trouble getting an Internet connection on his laptop, Ursone said, he has given up on using it during his down time.
The Office of Internet Technology states on their website, that students and faculty should call or email the office to report a weak Wi-Fi signal.
Shore said that she has contacted the Southern Office of Internet Technology to find out what was going on with her Internet connection; in addition she said that her follow co-workers had also called to complain about the Wi-Fi, but to no avail.
Ursone also called to find out what was going on with the wireless Internet.
“I called the IT office,” he said, “and they gave me the run around. They kept telling me it was a problem with my wireless card, not the Wi-Fi. I tried explaining that my laptop worked fine with the Wi-Fi at my house but they wouldn’t listen. It was utterly frustrating.”
Shore said that the Office of Internet Technology should acknowledge the trouble with the school’s Wi-Fi.
“If people are contacting them about rampant Wi-Fi problems,” she said, “then they should admit the problems and try and fix them.”
Ursone echoed those feelings.
“The IT office needs to come clean about what the deal is with the Wi-Fi,” Ursone said. “Like soon, like really soon.”
The Office of Internet Technology refused to comment for this story.
