The recent retirement of Dooleynet and implementation of the Self-Registration Portal are two technology shifts meant to simplify and improve the student connectivity experience at Emory.
This pair of efforts are the final deliverables of LITS’ Network Access Control (NAC) phase 2 project. These changes leverage Emory’s recent investments in NAC technologies, enabling the improved and expanded guest wireless service which is now present at all Emory University locations. The first phase of this project was installing the replacement for Bradford Network Access Control, which was an automated registration process for students once they completed anti-virus review for their machines.
The Dooleynet retirement simplifies how students connect to Emory with their personal devices. Going forward, students will connect their devices to the EmoryGuest wireless network and will receive the same network services that were previously offered via Dooleynet. This includes specialized connectivity for devices such as Xboxes, PlayStations and PCs/laptops running real-time connectivity services. Registered student personal devices also receive higher bandwidth services to accommodate downloads and updates.
One of the major goals of this project was network simplification. LITS Networking used to run four networks: EmoryUnplugged, EmoryGuest, Dooleynet, and Eduroam. By reducing the number of networks, we have simplified our network registration process for non-WPA2 enterprise devices (devices that do not use a network ID to access the network).
The Self-Registration Portal enables students to self-register their personal devices using a valid Emory netid. Students will have the ability to register a limited number of personal devices using an Emory website and receive premium connectivity without having to bring those devices physically into the Student Technology Services (STS) Center and wait in line. This was particularly cumbersome with smart televisions and STS technicians used to have to make time-consuming appointments to register large TVs in the dorms. The new process removes all that.
Students will now simply login using their Emory netid and input the MAC address from their personal network device into the self-registration portal, registering it for premium services. Students still have the option to bring their devices to register them via STS and/or get help as needed for their connectivity requests.
“While working to make our wireless offering more secure, the project team has also significantly improved the student connectivity experience at Emory,” said Deputy CIO John Ellis. “This is just fantastic! The more we can remove friction points in a student’s experience, the better. This project aligns well with the Provost’s Undergraduate Experience Initiative and I’m very proud of the work the team has done.”
Special thanks go to all of the teams whose collaboration made this effort possible: Enterprise Messaging, Enterprise Security, Network Services, and Student Technology Services.
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