Network Connectivity
Whether you are a student, a faculty or staff member, or a visitor, wireless connections are widely available throughout Rice University’s campus. Wired connections are available in faculty and staff offices and in the residential colleges (one network port per resident). Members of the Rice community can also connect to the internal network via VPN when off campus.
On Campus
Wireless and wired connections are available across campus. For best performance, see Optimal Use of Rice Networks.
Connect to One of Three Local Wireless Networks
- Rice OWLs – Encrypted network available to all faculty, students, and staff (login with NetID credentials)
- Eduroam – Encrypted network available to faculty, students, staff, and visitors from participating Eduroam institutions (login with NetID credentials)
- Rice Visitor – Open, unencrypted network (no login required)
Connect to the Wired Network
For the fastest and most consistent connection, plug in your Ethernet cable or console to an active port. Client machines connected to a wired port will receive an 802.1X authentication prompt for Rice NetID login or a browser redirect to a self-registration and client setup site.
Network Specifications
Rice OWLs operates exclusively on the 5 GHz band, while Eduroam and Rice Visitor use both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies. All Rice network ports support 10/100/1000 Mb/s connections using Category 6 twisted-pair patch cords.
Off Campus
The Rice Virtual Private Networking (VPN) system provides a secure connection between a remote computer and the university network. VPN access allows you to use Rice’s internal resources when working from off campus.
Connect to the VPN
To obtain VPN access, visit https://kb.rice.edu/82263 for software downloads and setup instructions.