IIT-IoT Wireless Network

The IIT-IoT network is a WPA2-PSK encrypted Wi-Fi network using pre-shared keys. It is the recommended Wi-Fi network for IoT (Internet of Things) devices that require a PSK Wi-Fi network. PSK is a client-authentication method that uses a passphrase of 8 to 63 characters to generate encryption keys for a wireless session. Below you will find a list of the types of devices that are recommended for use on IIT-IoT.

• Any device that does not support the WPA2-Enterprise (i.e., that you have difficulty connecting to the IIT-Secure and/or Eduroam networks).
• Gaming consoles: Xbox; PlayStation; Nintendo, etc.
• Any device without a web browser: Raspberry PI; Beagle Board; SoC, etc.
• A streaming device: Apple TV; Chromecast; Roku, etc.
• Smart devices: TVs; voice-assist speakers; watches; lightbulbs; sensors, etc.
• Any device that previously you were only able to connect to the IIT-Console wireless network.

 

Before getting started, identify the MAC address of the device you would like to register on the IIT-IoT wireless network. The MAC address can typically be found in the system settings, the hardware information, or the network settings of your device. Sometimes the MAC address is found on a label affixed to the device or it may be on the box in which the device came. Please know that manufacturers sometimes use different names to describe the MAC address, such as "hardware ID," "physical address," "wireless ID," "Wi-Fi address," etc.

The IIT-IoT Device Registration interface can be found in the Illinois Tech Portal or at iot.iit.edu. Once you are logged in, the landing page will display all the devices that are registered to your account.

To Add a New Device

• Click the green "New" button as shown in the above image.
• Enter the MAC address of the device you wish to connect.
  • Do not include any punctuation that may appear in the MAC address such as a semi-colon (;), colon (:), comma (,) dash (-), period (.), etc.
• Enter your preferred pre-shared key (PSK) containing 8-63 characters.
  •  If you wish, you can quickly generate a random pre-shared key by clicking the key button.
• Enter a description of your device for easier identification.
• Click the blue "Save" button at the bottom of the screen (see image below).
• Connect your device to the IIT-IoT Wi-Fi network using its PSK.

To Edit an Existing Device

• Click on the pencil/edit icon on the far right of the entry you wish to edit.
• Please note: the MAC address cannot be edited. If the original MAC address is incorrect, you will need to delete the existing entry for the device from the main page, and then re-add the device entering the correct MAC address.
• Edit the pre-shared key or device description.
• With the drop-down menu (see image below), answer the question whether to Disable or Enable your device based on your needs.
• Once your changes are complete, click the blue "Save" button at the bottom of the screen.

To Delete an existing Device

• Select the checkbox next to the device(s) you wish to delete (see image below).

• Click the red "Delete" button.
• Alternatively, click on the trash can icon on the far right to remove a single device entry.

Disabled Device(s)

• If a light pink background appears behind the information for your device, that indicates that the device’s access is disabled, i.e., it will not connect to IIT-IoT. Devices can be disabled by a user or administratively by authorized Illinois Tech staff. If a device is modified or disabled by university staff, you will receive a confirmation email indicating the change. Please contact the Office of Technology Services (OTS) Support Desk to re-enable the device.

  In the image below, you will see examples of the various statuses of three sample devices:

  • The Raspberry Pi Sensor (with the reddish background) has been disabled by the user indicated by "Yes."
  • The Nintendo Switch (with the neutral background) is enabled.
  • The Smart Speaker (with the reddish background) has been disabled administratively, indicated by "Yes*".

  

 

Q: What is the IIT-IoT Wi-Fi network?

A: The IIT-IoT network is a WPA2-PSK encrypted Wi-Fi network using pre-shared keys. It is the recommended Wi-Fi network for IoT (Internet of Things) devices that require a PSK Wi-Fi network.

Q: What is a pre-shared key (PSK)?

A: PSK is a client-authentication method that uses a passphrase of 8 to 63 characters to generate encryption keys for a wireless session.

Q: Which devices are recommended for use with IIT-IoT?

A: A list of recommended devices appears below:

• Any device that does not support the WPA2-Enterprise (i.e., that you have difficulty connecting to the IIT-Secure and/or Eduroam network).
• Gaming consoles: Xbox; PlayStation; Nintendo, etc.
• Any device without a web browser: Raspberry PI; Beagle Board; SoC, etc.
• A streaming device: Apple TV; Chromecast; Roku, etc.
• Smart devices: TVs; voice-assist speakers; watches; lightbulbs; sensors, etc.
• Any device that previously you were only able to connect to the IIT-Console wireless network.

Q: How will I know if my device’s access to IIT-IoT has been disabled?

If a light pink background appears behind the information for your device, that indicates that the device’s access is disabled, i.e., it will not connect to IIT-IoT. Devices can be disabled by a user or administratively by authorized Illinois Tech staff. If a device is modified or disabled by university staff, you will receive a confirmation email indicating the change. Please contact the Office of Technology Services (OTS) Support Desk to re-enable the device.

In the image below, you will see examples of the various statuses of three sample devices:

• The Raspberry Pi Sensor (with the reddish background) has been disabled by the user indicated by "Yes."
• The Nintendo Switch (with the neutral background) is enabled.
• The Smart Speaker (with the reddish background) has been disabled administratively indicated by "Yes*".

Q: How can I tell when my device last connected?

A: Click the view-entry icon (i.e., magnifying glass) to the right of the entry.

Timestamps will be provided for the creation of the entry, the last time the entry was changed, and the last time the device successfully connected to IIT-IoT.

 

Q: Will I be notified of changes within the IIT-IoT interface?

A: Anytime you add, edit, or delete a device, you will receive a confirmation email that will confirm the change. Please note if a device is automatically removed for inactivity (please see the next Q & A for more information on this), you will not receive a confirmation email.

Q: What happens with inactive devices?

A: If a device hasn’t been connected to IIT-IoT in the last 6 months, it will be removed automatically from the system as an inactive device. You will not receive an email confirmation when a device is removed for inactivity. You are absolutely free to reconnect your device to the IIT-IoT wireless network when you are once again ready to use it.

Q: What is a MAC address?

A: A media-access-control (MAC) address is a unique identification number used by the network to identify a device. The MAC address is tied to the network-interface controller (NIC) of a device. The NIC is the point at which the device makes a physical connection to the network. The MAC address is a 12-digit hexadecimal number that is often displayed with a colon or hyphen separating every two digits.

Examples:

• 12:34:56:78:90:00
• 34-af-b8-88-27-00

Q: How do I find a device’s MAC address?

A: You will most often find MAC addresses in the system settings, hardware information, or network settings of your device. The MAC address is sometimes found on a label affixed to the device or on the box in which the device came. It is important to note that manufacturers sometimes use different names to describe the MAC address, such as “hardware ID,” “physical address,” wireless ID,” Wi-Fi address”, etc.

Q: What is a MAC randomization/private MAC?

A: A MAC address randomization or private MAC is a feature on some modern devices, most often mobile devices. If enabled, the device will use a randomized MAC address upon connection to IIT-IoT. In addition, the MAC address may change periodically. Please note: for the IIT-IoT network, the device’s MAC address and pre-shared key are paired together, so if your device’s MAC address changes from what you entered in the IIT-IoT Device Registration Interface, the device will no longer successfully connect to IIT-IoT. You would need to either routinely reconnect your device as your device’s MAC address changes or disable that MAC randomization feature on your device.

Q: What happens with devices that share information about wireless networks?

A: Some devices may share or synchronize network information including PSKs. If you have a device that does this, you may need to manually set the PSK to ensure that all of the devices that share network information have the same PSK.

 

Need additional information or assistance? Please contact the Support Desk - supportdesk@illinoistech.edu - 312.567.3375