By Tereasa Neeley
Voices Editor
Numerous campus residents have experienced a disruption in their Wi-Fi connectivity in the Shepler buildings. Kelly McClure, Director of Information Technology Services advised that she is aware of the problem.
McClure provided the following information for students facing Wi-Fi service disruption and stated that students have a couple of options to choose from.
“Students can do two things. Number one, they can contact housing to tell them they are having issues, and they can try and resolve the issue,” McClure said. “Otherwise, if housing can’t resolve the issue students can put in a support ticket at support@cameron.edu.”
Many students who are aware of the proper procedure to put in a support ticket have forgotten to leave their contact information making I.T.’s job a little more difficult.
McClure offers the following advice to students for submitting a trouble ticket for this issue.
“Students need to make sure they put their contact information on the ticket: First and last name, email, and phone number,” McClure said. “Once they do that the network team who specializes in those problems will contact the student.”
Currently, each room does not have Wi-Fi. The only places that have Wi-Fi in the Shepler buildings are the ground floor, the mezzanine, and the common areas on each floor.
McClure advised that if a student wants Wi-Fi in their rooms, they have to provide the router.
“Students are asked to bring their own Wi-Fi router if they want an internet connection,” McClure said. “Shepler has no student Wi-Fi in each room.” The internet connection has to be hard-wired to get a good Wi-Fi connection.
McClure recommended that if students want to purchase a router, avoid the brand Net Gear.
“It’s the brand that has some issues,” Mcclure said. “They are made for a different use.”
She recommended the Linksys routers are the best option for Wi-Fi connectivity in student rooms.
“Regardless of the brand, we will do everything we can to help you set it up.”
Some students are unaware of the correct procedure to get I.T. help. Students simply need to contact their housing department.
Brittney Payette, Senior, Psychology Major contacted the housing department about her Wi-Fi troubles.
“I did put a work order for that, and they rejected it,” she said. “They said they don’t do I.T. problems, they said I needed to call I.T.”
Although Payette has been without internet for three weeks she has adjusted well.
“I’ve had to make arrangements to do my work elsewhere because I did not have Wi-Fi access in my room that was working,” she said. “So, I used the corrals in the library or some computer labs around campus.”
Payette was grateful to have several options on campus to choose from. With three online classes and working on the Cameron Collegian staff, she took responsibility to resolve her problems.
“I did not tell my professors, I just saw it was a personal problem, one that I had options,” she said. Payette has found a way around her issues with no Wi-Fi until she was eventually able to resolve her internet issues.
Although Payette has resolved her issues, many students are still struggling.
“It’s a priority for us to help the students get set up,” McClure said.
As far as the internet in each room at the North and South Shepler buildings, McClure is definitely in favor to get Wi-Fi in each room. McClure asked that if a student is having issues to please complete an I.T. ticket at support@cameron.edu and attach their complete contact information; first and last name, email, and phone number. This should get their issue resolved quickly.