Is the Wi-Fi in your area overloaded?
At some locations and in my offices at the university, the Wi-Fi network may become overloaded, resulting in slow Internet connections.
The IT department is aware of this issue and is already working on improvements, such as by installing additional and newer access points.
Tips for Better Connections
- Don't turn on Wi-Fi until you're seated. This will prevent your device from getting “stuck” on the access point at the entrance.
- Briefly turn Wi-Fi off and then back on at your final workstation.
- If possible, select the 5-GHz or 6-GHz band on your device: Technically speaking, Eduroam can be broadcast over three frequency bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz). Many devices automatically connect to the 2.4-GHz band, which quickly becomes overloaded because it has only 4 non-overlapping channels. Therefore, please use the 5-GHz band, which has 23 non-overlapping channels, or the 6-GHz band, which transmits on 24 different channels. Newer devices recognize and support all channels in the 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands. If your device has a built-in Wi-Fi adapter that supports these bands, configure the adapter to prioritize the 5 GHz or 6 GHz band when establishing a connection.
Whether and how you can select the 5 GHz or 6 GHz band on your device depends on the specific device and its operating system. iOS and macOS should automatically use the 5 GHz band. On dual-band devices running Android, the selection is often automatic but can also be made manually: support.google.com/wifi/answer/6293481?hl=de - For example, if you're studying or working in a busy library, try to move to less crowded areas of the library, if possible.
- Try adjusting the position of the device (for example, the orientation of the laptop on the table). Experience has shown that even a slight change in position can sometimes help.
Measures to Reduce Overload
- Many devices now offer the option to act as a “Wi-Fi hotspot” and accept connections from other smartphones. Additional private Wi-Fi hotspots can cause problems in the Wi-Fi “environment.” If you are providing a Wi-Fi hotspot, please turn it off inside university buildings.
- Similarly, having Bluetooth turned on can interfere with Wi-Fi reception in the 2.4-GHz band. Bluetooth uses the frequency range between 2402 and 2480 MHz.
- Please also turn off Bluetooth on your device while inside university buildings.
- By the way, the frequency of the microwaves in household microwave ovens is 2450 MHz.
Authentication error
, which appear as soon as you try to connect to the eduroam access point, are not related to network congestion. If your device displays authentication-related errors, follow our instructions and reconfigure the Wi-Fi access point.
Technical Explanations
Weather radar stations around the world use frequencies in the range of 5580 to 5660 MHz. If Wi-Fi access points detect a radar signal in this range, they are required to turn off their Wi-Fi radio module for a specified period of time. They then begin scanning the surrounding area. If no radar signal is detected, they turn the 5-GHz module back on.
At the University of Bamberg, too, some of the Wi-Fi access points use the frequency range mentioned above. The IT department monitors whether any outages have occurred due to radar signals and adjusts the frequencies at the affected locations.
There are very few usable Wi-Fi radio frequencies to begin with. If a channel is occupied by a hotspot or Bluetooth, it will inevitably cause interference with the university’s Wi-Fi. The stronger these interfering signals are in your vicinity, the worse the university’s Wi-Fi will be. Even if you’re trying to help a fellow student get an additional network connection, you’re also causing problems for many other mobile device users within a fairly wide radius. Please keep this in mind and turn off your hotspot.
You can quickly determine whether there are any private hotspots or Bluetooth devices available in your immediate vicinity by checking the list of available Wi-Fi networks on your device: The University of Bamberg provides the Wi-Fi access points eduroam and BayernWLAN. If your device displays additional Wi-Fi access points, these are likely private hotspots. These often include the names “Android” or “iPhone.”