New AirRowdy network now available for students, faculty and staff

JANUARY 2, 2024 — UTSA students, faculty and staff will need to log in to the new AirRowdy network to connect to campus Wi-Fi when they return to campus this month. The change follows technology upgrades that were made over the winter break to allow for a faster, more consistent and secure connection.

As members of the campus community access UTSA Wi-Fi for the first time in 2024, they will connect to the AirRowdy network, which replaced the AirRowdy_FacultyStaff and AirRowdy_Student networks. All users will use their myUTSA ID (abc123) and passphrase to log in. They will also need to accept a new security certificate as they connect each device to AirRowdy for the first time—and annually thereafter.

“The new AirRowdy network will provide a more user-friendly and reliable wireless experience on our campuses,” said Kendra Ketchum UTSA vice president for information management and technology. “University Technology Solutions is committed to providing an environment that fosters the success of all UTSA students, faculty and staff.”

“The new AirRowdy network will provide a more user-friendly and reliable wireless experience on our campuses.”

Most of the hardware used for wired and wireless networks – switches, routers and access points – typically only lasts five to seven years before it needs replaced. UTS has been upgrading equipment at UTSA in smaller projects since the start of the COVID pandemic. At that time, the focus was on expanding access points into parking lots and garages to support social distancing and to allow students to work from cars as needed. 

The next phase of the university’s multi-year network upgrade was completed last summer when UTS began to replace the hardware in select high traffic areas and buildings. At that time, 25% of existing network equipment was upgraded with a focus on select high-traffic areas on the Main Campus.

With wireless devices being used more prevalently on campus and in the classroom, Wi-Fi connections exceeded 25,000 devices some days. This large number of devices caused the authentication process that allows a student to connect to the wireless network to reach maximum capacity. Introducing new equipment to the old infrastructure also created challenges.

Throughout the fall semester, UTS continued to deploy additional Wi-Fi access points in key buildings to improve Wi-Fi coverage.

Another comprehensive assessment of the Main Campus’ Wi-Fi service coverage is planned for the end of this month. Based on the findings of this assessment, University Technology Solutions will prioritize high-traffic areas that need improvement to create a more seamless campus Wi-Fi experience. Additional upgrades are planned, including more access points around campus to allow for better Wi-Fi coverage in areas where service might be slow.

“University Technology Solutions is dedicated to the continuous improvement of UTSA technology environments, especially in terms of network performance, security and reliability,” said Ketchum. “We strive to serve as a strategic partner to the university by providing quality and innovative technology solutions and services.”

— Jessica Abel Wilkinson