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Configuring Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" to connect to Lehigh's secure wireless network "lu" using 802.1x/PEAP |
Please Note: Mac OS X version 10.5 "Leopard" uses a slightly different procedure (see the Leopard 802.1x document instead.)
Step 1 : Confirm that AirPort is EnabledIf you have already been using AirPort wireless on your Macintosh and have the AirPort Status menubar icon in the upper right corner of your screen, as shown in the image at right, you can skip ahead to Step 2.
Go to a place that provides access to the Lehigh 802.1x secure wireless network "lu". For current wireless locations, please see the Lehigh Wireless Computing web page. To complete these instructions you will need to establish a connection to the network and authenticate with your Lehigh ID and password.
Open the System Preferences by selecting it from the Apple menu as shown in the image to the right.
Click on the Network icon located in the Internet and Network area of the System Preferences screen
You should initially see a window that looks something like the one below.
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Note that to make changes on any of the Network preference screens shown here, the yellow padlock graphic in the lower left corner should appear unlocked. If it's locked, you should click on the lock and enter your username and password. You may need to be logged into Mac OS X as an administrative user with privileges to make these changes. |
If AirPort is listed, you may skip ahead to Step 1a. Otherwise, click the pulldown menu next to Show: and select Network Port Configurations.
Click the box next to AirPort so that it is checked/on. Click the Apply Now button.
Still on the Network screen, click the pulldown menu next to Show and select AirPort. You should see a screen that looks like the following:
Make sure that the Airport tab, the leftmost tab, is selected. The proper setting is By default, join: Automatic, as shown above. Also make sure that the box is checked next to Show AirPort status in menu bar. If you make any changes, click the Apply Now button.
Still on the Network screen under Show: AirPort, click the TCP/IP tab. You should see the following screen:
Confirm that the settings show Configure IPv4: Using DHCP. If not, choose that selection from the pulldown menu. If you make any changes, click the Apply Now button. Close the Network screen of System Preferences by choosing Quit from the System Preferences menu in the menu bar.
Step 2: Set up an 802.1x connection
Click the AirPort Status menu on the menu bar and select Open Internet Connect.
This will start the Internet Connect application, which you will use to configure your 802.1x credentials. You will see a screen that looks like this:
Click the 802.1X icon. You will see a screen like the one below.
If you do not see an 802.1X icon, choose New 802.1X Connection from the File menu to create one.
From the Configuration: pulldown menu, select Edit Configurations. This brings up a screen that allows you to save your 802.1x credentials so they can be used for different connections.
In the Description field, type Lehigh 802.1x. Confirm that AirPort is selected for the Network Port field. Type your 4- or 6-digit Lehigh ID in the User Name field (abc123 in the example above) and type your Lehigh password in the Password field. Type lu in the Wireless Network field. In the Authentication area, only PEAP should be checked. Uncheck anything that is not PEAP and make sure PEAP is checked. Click OK to save the changes.
In the Internet Connect screen, you should now be able to click the Connect button to authenticate to the Lehigh 802.1x network "lu".
The first time you connect, you may get a message indicating that the server certificate is not trusted. Click the Accept All button. You will no longer be asked for a certificate each time you connect. You may also get a message asking if you want to store the password in your Mac OS X Keychain; click Yes. If everything has been configured correctly, you should see "Connected" in the Status area similar to what's shown in the example above.
Mac OS X version 10.3.3 and higher, used with AirPort version 3.4 and higher, has the ability to remember that you need to authenticate via 802.1x with a particular SSID. Once you have established an intial 802.1x connection to "lu" using Internet Connect, you do not always need to manually start the Internet Connect application to connect to the "lu" secure wireless network.
If you intend to move between various kinds of wireless access points, don't disconnect from "lu" by clicking the Disconnect button in Internet Connect. Instead, use the AirPort Status menu to turn AirPort off, or simply put the Mac to sleep via the Sleep menu option or by closing the laptop lid. Mac OS Xwill remember the "lu" 802.1x connection and look for it whenever a wireless signal is detected. You may define several wireless networks in this way and then seamlessly move between them without the need to choose a specific wireless network each time.
When live roaming between secure access points within the "lu" 802.1x secure wireless network, you may notice a 10 to 15 second interruption in service while AirPort re-authenticates. You should see an "authenticating" message in the AirPort Status menu icon.