Troubleshooting Your Connection

NYU IT is improving wireless connectivity by increasing the number of wireless access points found throughout the University. By increasing the number of access points, NYU IT is extending the amount of wireless coverage provided to the community, as well as improving the bandwidth capabilities available in buildings.

There are a number of factors at play when troubleshooting wireless connectivity or performance issues. Below are a few helpful tips for a smooth wireless experience. For additional help, please see this article on wireless/NYURoam troubleshooting steps.

Test Your Connection

Click "GO" to conduct a speed test for your Wi-Fi connection. The test will display your current wireless speed. Typical high-definition video streams use 5 Mbps. A result of 10 Mbps or more is considered adequate for general use.

screen shot of NYU speed test window with the text "go"

Use the ‘nyu’ Network

Ensure that 'nyu' is the only network defined in the AirPort preferred networks list.  'nyu-legacy', 'nyuguest', 'nyuguest-legacy', and 'eduroam' should not be configured as wireless networks. 'eduroam' does not allow wireless clients to choose their wireless frequency, and this may result in clients being automatically downgraded to older wireless frequencies such as the 2.4GHz band.

For Windows Users

Verify that your laptop’s wireless card is using the latest software from the card manufacturer and not the laptop manufacturer. If a Windows laptop experiences unreliable connectivity such as dropped connections, or if you are repeatedly prompted to provide a username and password, then this may indicate a compatibility issue with the wireless card software in use.

For Apple Users

Apple laptop users can click on the AirPort icon on the task bar while holding down the 'option' key to test wireless signal strength. Information will be displayed relative to the network the device is connected to. The RSSI value is the received signal strength and should ideally fall into the -50 dBm - -71dBm range.

Additional Resources

For additional information, please reference these support articles, or browse additional NYURoam knowledge: