Information Technology

Network Access

network access landing image

Thiel College has expanded its wireless access infrastructure to over 350 access points since 2014. Wireless access is now available in all residence halls, along with administrative and academic buildings on campus.

Here are a few helpful tips:

Setting up your wireless connection

To access wireless internet, you will need to add the wireless connection to your computer.

  1. On your device, navigate to the Thiel Wireless Network and click "Connect."
  2. You will be prompted for a username and password (this is your 9-digit Thiel ID and Network Password).
  3.  Click "Connect."
    1.  If you are on a Windows or Mac computer you will be prompted to trust the certificate. Click "Continue" or "Connect."
    2. If you are on a iOS device you will need to click "Trust" in the right-hand corner when the certificate screen pops up.
    3. If you are on an Android device you will not have to worry about the certificate pop-up.
  4. Once these steps are complete you will be connected to the Thiel Wireless Network.

If you run into any issues setting up your connection, contact the I.T. Solution Center at x4000. Please follow the guidelines on how to be a good Wi-Fi citizen.

Gaming Network/Smart TV/Media Devices

If would like to connect your media/gaming device to the wireless network you will need to connect to the Thiel Gaming network using the instructions below:

Thiel College is very aware that the network is an important resource for entertainment and recreational use, including online gaming. However the college does not provide technical support for gaming consoles and cannot guarantee the gaming experience over the ResNet wired or wireless network. Console owners are responsible for all setup and configuration of their game consoles.

Wired Network Access for Residence Halls

In order to access Thiel network resources such as printers and shared drives, you will need to follow the directions in the PDF below.  Without this configuration, you will only have internet access and not Thiel network access.  This install is only applicable to Windows-based computers.

Enterprise Access Points vs. Consumer or Home Access Points

The College's enterprise network is rigorously engineered and is designed with hardware that delivers higher performance than equipment designed for home networks.

A typical home network is capable of supporting approximately five people and their devices using a single, shared password everyone in the household knows. Our network, by contrast, serves many people in hundreds of locations daily using unique credentials to authenticate to the network.

Home networks also permit WiFi-enabled devices to send out signals to make them easily visible and accessible to all. Our WiFi network isolates devices to prevent a large number of devices being visible to faculty, staff and students. This means that some devices need to be set up on campus using a unique name and password, and others may not work on our network at all.

Additionally, our enterprise access point hardware is more versatile than a typical home AP. It is designed to:

  • Coordinate with other APs
  • Support large numbers of devices simultaneously
  • Deliver multiple wireless networks (e.g. Thiel, Thiel Guest, Thiel Gaming)
  • Be managed with many other APs from a single administrative interface

Enterprise AP features include:

  • High performance radio chipsets
  • Increased processor capability
  • Higher memory capacity
  • Virtual Local Area Network support to segment user groups and satisfy security requirements
  • Quality of Service controls (necessary for voice/video)
  • Fast and secure roaming, allowing authenticated clients to roam securely between APs without delay
  • Client diagnostics and troubleshooting
  • Advanced encryption and user authentication standards
  • Scalability and extensibility to accommodate the size of campus buildings and integrate with campus authentication, monitoring, and logging tools
  • Configurable transmit power to customize the radio frequency for the individual location
  • Support for various advanced radio protocols and 802.11 technologies.
  • Support for power over Ethernet
  • Vendor support for feature enhancements, bug fixes, and security patches

Personal Routers

Wireless electronic devices designed for home use do not always work with large, enterprise networks like Thiel College has created.

Important: Please refrain from using personal WiFi routers or hotspots. Enterprise WiFi networks, like the one deployed on campus, require careful coordination and cooperation to provide quality service. Network engineers design and operate the WiFi networks in each building to allow multiple Access Points (APs) to work together to provide a reliable and stable environment.

Personal WiFi routers or hotspots significantly and negatively impact the reliability and stability of the College's WiFi environment. They cause the campus WiFi network to deteriorate, create radio frequency (RF) noise, and in some cases make it unusable by others around you.

RF noise can also come from cordless phones, microwave ovens, and certain printers, projectors and other WiFi enabled devices. This is why some devices that can be used wirelessly at home may require a hard-wired connection on campus or not be able to connect to the Thiel College network.

FCC Radio Frequency Safety Statement

The FCC often receives inquiries concerning the potential safety hazards of human exposure to radio frequency (RF) energy. If you receive questions about RF safety, please refer individuals to the FCC Radio Frequency Statement.

Thiel College Shield

Thiel College
75 College Ave
Greenville, PA 16125
1-800-248-4435