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Created page with "'''VT_WLAN''' service is available in approximately 90% of academic and administrative spaces across the Blacksburg campus. This wireless network is composed of unencrypted IEEE ..."
'''VT_WLAN''' service is available in approximately 90% of academic and administrative spaces across the Blacksburg campus. This wireless network is composed of unencrypted IEEE 802.11a/b/g access nodes. To limit access to faculty and staff, VT Communications Network Services uses a Cisco captive portal. They switched from Bluesocket during the summer of 2009. You have to register for [http://www.cns.vt.edu/html/wireless/wlan/registration.html Customer OnLine Access (COLA)] or in person at the Student Telecommunications Office to enable your account.
==Authentication==
The captive portal system will hijack the URL you first try to visit. Due to the nature of [[w:SSL|SSL]], https connections cannot be directed to the login page and will time out. Type in your PID and password to be granted access.
==Logging in from the Command Line==
You can use CURL to log in from the command line or automate this (or any) web-based process. [[LUUG]] members previously provided scripts for the Bluesocket authentication, but due to the improvements that VT-Wireless brings, noone has bothered to write a new script for the Cisco captive portal.
==Some Technical Details==
* The access points force SSL and are all signed by the Thawte Premium Server CA.
* The routers are named:
** bur-agw-2.cns.vt.edu
** bur-agw-3.cns.vt.edu
** cas-agw-?.cns.vt.edu
** hil-agw-?.cns.vt.edu
** isb-agw-?.cns.vt.edu
** owe-agw-1.cns.vt.edu
** sha-agw-1.cns.vt.edu
* DHCP is independent of the captive portal authentication and occurs first.
* You can ping without logging in.
* All wireless networks (including the .1x networks) on campus now use [[rfc:1918|RFC-1918]] addresses from the 172.31.0.0/16 network. These are
translated 1 to 1 with NAT into 198.82.x.x addresses for access outside the wireless network.
* You can access IPv6 sites like [http://www.cns.vt.edu/ CNS] and Google without having to authenticate.
==See Also==
* [[VT-Wireless]]
[[Category:Campus computing resources]]
==Authentication==
The captive portal system will hijack the URL you first try to visit. Due to the nature of [[w:SSL|SSL]], https connections cannot be directed to the login page and will time out. Type in your PID and password to be granted access.
==Logging in from the Command Line==
You can use CURL to log in from the command line or automate this (or any) web-based process. [[LUUG]] members previously provided scripts for the Bluesocket authentication, but due to the improvements that VT-Wireless brings, noone has bothered to write a new script for the Cisco captive portal.
==Some Technical Details==
* The access points force SSL and are all signed by the Thawte Premium Server CA.
* The routers are named:
** bur-agw-2.cns.vt.edu
** bur-agw-3.cns.vt.edu
** cas-agw-?.cns.vt.edu
** hil-agw-?.cns.vt.edu
** isb-agw-?.cns.vt.edu
** owe-agw-1.cns.vt.edu
** sha-agw-1.cns.vt.edu
* DHCP is independent of the captive portal authentication and occurs first.
* You can ping without logging in.
* All wireless networks (including the .1x networks) on campus now use [[rfc:1918|RFC-1918]] addresses from the 172.31.0.0/16 network. These are
translated 1 to 1 with NAT into 198.82.x.x addresses for access outside the wireless network.
* You can access IPv6 sites like [http://www.cns.vt.edu/ CNS] and Google without having to authenticate.
==See Also==
* [[VT-Wireless]]
[[Category:Campus computing resources]]