Listen Here
By Emily Bouck and Pulse Staff
With thousands of University of Findlay students, faculty and staff accessing the internet with multiple devices at any given time, trying to keep Wi-Fi signal strength strong and running smoothly on campus is a tall task.
Brandon Heidepriem, interim vice president for Information Technology Services, says UF has recently upgraded access points for Wi-Fi in several residence halls and academic buildings in an effort to improve speed and coverage.
“We also enhanced our network management tools to identify and address issues more proactively,” Heidepriem said. “Our wireless network supports approximately 9,000 devices each month, demonstrating the scale of connectivity we manage across campus,” Heidepriem said.
Elizabeth Rine, a junior in the Western Equestrian program, says she has some issues with the Wi-Fi on campus.
“I’ve had the internet cut out, block me from visiting sites,” Rine said. “Not restricted sites, but normal run of the mill sites I am using for class, and in general be very slow.” .
Heidepriem says he understands where students are coming from when they express concern about the Wi-Fi service.
“Like anyone on campus, I’ve occasionally experienced brief connectivity issues, which is normal for any network,” Heidepriem said. “However, our team actively monitors the system to ensure consistent performance and rapid response to any disruptions.”
“I have not lost full projects, but I have lost a lot of pages and parts of my projects,” Rine said. “I have also been unable to complete some projects because the Wi-Fi was not working and the cell data was not enough to load the information I needed to load.”
Emmi Posti, a sophomore in the Western Equestrian program as well as Animal Science, can relate to Rines concerns.
“I think the Wi-Fi can sometimes be really good but sometimes it really sucks, the worst place on campus I can think of is the AMU,” Posti said. :I’ve had issues with connecting and it says I’m connected but there’s no internet so I can’t even do anything. Yes. my schooling has definitely been affected.”
“The most frequent issue is users accidentally connecting to the guest network (ufindlayguest) instead of the main network (ufindlay), which can lead to slower speeds and limited access,” Heidepriem said. “While we emphasize the importance of connecting to the correct network, we’re also working to address coverage challenges, particularly in older buildings where signal strength can be impacted.”
Heidepriem says if students need any help with technology, his department is ready to assist.
“Our team offers a wide range of services, including network management, cybersecurity, software support, hardware repairs, classroom technology upgrades, and user training,” Heidepriem said. “We also manage major systems like Workday and the student housing system.”
