Table of Contents

Troubleshooting SMISguest client connections

Issues with the SMISguest network generally fall into the following categories:

Failure to authenticate

After connecting to the SMISguest WLAN, the client needs to open a browser window and authenticate to the wireless controller. With some operating systems / browsers, the authentication screen will open automatically upon connecting to the WLAN. With others, the user must launch a browser and navigate to a non-SSL website.

This is common on app-based devices such as iPads and iPhones. Apps which require an internet connection will not operate until the browser-based authentication is completed.

See this guide for authenticating.

A common issue is having the wrong user name / password.

DHCP / DNS issues

To complete authentication via the SMISguest network and for subsequent web browsing, the client must receive an IP address via the DHCP protocol, and must use the St. Mary's DNS servers.

Common issues with this would be the use of a fixed IP address or the use of external proxy servers.

Client-side tests

Client-side tests would include:

Checking for a valid IP address

All SMISguest network client IP addresses will be in one of the following ranges:

  1. 172.19.0.1 - 172.19.3.255 (North Campus)
  2. 172.19.100.1 - 172.19.103.255 (South Campus)

Any client IP address not in the above ranges will not be valid.

Mac
  1. Launch Network Utility (e.g., via Spotlight)
  2. Click the Info tab
  3. Select Wi-Fi (enX) via the drop-down list
  4. Verify the IP address
Windows 7

(Similar for other versions of Windows.)

  1. Right-click on the wireless signal icon in the Taskbar and choose Open Network and Sharing Center
  2. Click on Change adapter settings
  3. Right-click on Wireless Network Connection X and choose Status
  4. Click on Details
  5. Verify the IPv4 address
iOS 7

(Similar for iOS 6)

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Go to Wi-Fi
  3. Tap on the active Wi-Fi connection (SMISguest)
  4. Verify the IP Address

Testing DNS resolution (via PING)

With PING tests, the important point is whether the response contains an IP address. (The wireless controller will block completion of the actual ping.) This signifies that DNS resolution is occurring.

Addresses to PING

In each case, ping the FQDN (e.g., dc03.smis.ac.jp) and look for the IP address (again, e.g., 172.16.1.8) in the response.

Mac
  1. Launch Network Utility (see above under “Checking for a valid IP address”)
  2. Click on the Ping tab
  3. Enter the address and click Ping

Sample response: 

PING dc03.smis.ac.jp (172.16.1.8): 56 data bytes
Windows 7

(Similar for other versions of Windows.)

  1. Launch a command window (e.g., click on the Start orb, type CMD and press Enter)
  2. Type ping followed by a space and the address, and press Enter

Sample response: 

Pinging dc03.smis.ac.jp [172.16.1.8] with 32 bytes of data:
iOS

iOS devices need a utility to ping; e.g., Free Ping or Network Ping Lite. Follow the instructions for the particular app.

Checking for external DNS settings

Use of external DNS will hinder or block use of the SMISguest network. Typically one or more of the PING tests described above will fail to produce an IP address, or will produce a different IP address than the ones shown.

Important note Third-party browsers may have their own DNS settings, independent of the operating system settings. The following settings are for the respective operating systems, and can be assumed to hold for the OS default browser.

smis.ac.jp DNS servers (internal network only)

Mac
  1. Go to System Preferences > Network
  2. Select Wi-Fi and click Advanced
  3. Click the DNS tab
  4. Verify that the expected DNS addresses are shown
Windows 7

(Similar for other versions of Windows.)

  1. Right-click on the wireless signal icon in the Taskbar and choose Open Network and Sharing Center
  2. Click on Change adapter settings
  3. Right-click on Wireless Network Connection X and choose Properties
  4. Click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click the Properties button
  5. Verify that “Obtain DNS server address automatically” is selected
iOS 7

(Similar for iOS 6)

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Go to Wi-Fi
  3. Tap on the active Wi-Fi connection (SMISguest)
  4. Verify that the expected DNS addresses are shown

Checking for an external proxy

Use of an external proxy will hinder or block use of the SMISguest network. This may or may not result in a failure of one or more of the PING tests shown above.

Important note Third-party browsers may have their own proxy settings, independent of the operating system settings. The following settings are for the respective operating systems, and can be assumed to hold for the OS default browser.

Mac
  1. Go to System Preferences > Network
  2. Select Wi-Fi and click Advanced
  3. Click the Proxies tab
  4. Verify that no protocols are selected for proxying
Windows 7

(Similar for other versions of Windows.)

  1. Open the Internet Options control panel
    * Start orb > Control Panel > Network and Internet > Internet Options, or
    * Start orb > Control Panel > Internet Options
  2. Click the Connections tab
  3. Click the LAN settings button
  4. Verify that Automatically detect settings is checked in the Automatic configuration pane
  5. Verify that the checkbox under Proxy server is unchecked
iOS 7

(Similar for iOS 6)

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Go to Wi-Fi
  3. Tap on the active Wi-Fi connection (SMISguest)
  4. Under HTTP PROXY, verify that Off is highlighted

Note Setting the HTTP PROXY to Auto can help the device remain connected when it sleeps. But if there's difficulty connecting, try first with the Off setting.

Disconnection when device sleeps

Many devices (and iPads / iPhones in particular) tend to lose their authorization when they sleep. The user is prompted to authenticate again even though the authentication period (usually 4 hours) has not expired.

Please see this note to avoid this issue.

Guest ID is expired

The guest ID must be reset by the system administrators every 30 days. If the client has entered the proper user name and password, but receives a “Login error” message, contact the system administrators to reset the guest ID.