For Western Washington University students, Wi-Fi connectivity is crucial for academic success, yet complaints about unreliable service have become increasingly common. Whether they’re trying to submit assignments on Canvas, join Zoom meetings, or stream lectures, students find themselves battling loading screens and dropped connections.
Complaints about campus Wi-Fi are nothing new, but recent reports from other universities suggest it is not only affecting Western.
The trouble began when students returned from winter break after Western’s Enterprise Infrastructure Services (EIS) installed a Cisco software upgrade on the secure Wi-Fi network.
The upgrade was intended to improve connection, especially for high-volume uses such as gaming and streaming, yet seems to be the root of the recent issues, said Chris Miller, the director of EIS.
“We started to receive reports of connection issues that devices didn't have very strong signal in places where they used to have strong signal or that they were getting disconnected frequently,” Miller said.
He said in January alone, they received twice the number of support tickets for wireless issues than they normally receive in a month.
Connection is particularly bad in high-traffic areas such as the Viking Union, Wilson Library and some residence halls.
Xavier Corey, a second-year student who lives in Higginson Hall, said the Wi-Fi has been “horrific” in his dorm room this quarter. He described a situation from last week where he had to submit an assignment on Canvas past the deadline because the page wouldn’t load.
“I would have to leave the room if I wanted to use the Wi-Fi because it is a giant concrete building; we don't get great service either,” Corey said.
Corey said he has tried the solutions on Western’s Academic Technology and User Services (ATUS) website and spoke with ATUS staff, resulting in minimal improvements. He was advised by an ATUS staff member to “keep trying.”
Third-year student Aidan Hollander said they were working on a final paper last quarter in the library and lost connection multiple times, which made it difficult for them to complete it on time.
“We should have something as basic as Wi-Fi,” Hollander said. “Especially if all our classes have an online element.”
Nikki Larson, a faculty member in the polymer materials engineering program, said the engineering building is not conducive to good signal due to the material it’s made of.
“This building is very insulated, so it’s all cinder blocks and I get absolutely horrible Wi-Fi in my office,” Larson said. “We basically have to have everything hardwired in this building.”
Concrete, while providing good insulation, is known to be particularly disruptive to Wi-Fi signals. According to research from the University of Pristina in Kosovo, its density and composition can block or weaken the signals of Wi-Fi, leading to poor connectivity.
AJ Armstrong, a third-year engineering student, said they have been forced to move around campus to find a good signal.
“Do you know that log thing right in front of ET? I go there because there’s nothing blocking me from the Wi-Fi,” Armstrong said. “If that doesn’t help, I go out into Red Square.”
Armstrong said they struggle with the Wi-Fi often in the engineering building. They said it impacts their ability to use Glean, a software provided by the Disability Access Center for students who need note-taking assistance.
“I also like to have lecture slides up on my computer, since I don’t see very well. Not having that immediately accessible makes it incredibly frustrating as a student,” Armstrong said. “I’m just simply not able to learn.”
Miller says the challenges stem from increased device usage and aging infrastructure.
“We have over 60 buildings that we provide wireless service to and we see upwards of 20,000 devices connect to the network every day,” Miller said. “It takes a significant amount of very complex infrastructure to make all of that run.”
For students who spend all day on campus, the problem is especially frustrating. These issues have been going on for years, with significant internet connection problems dating back to 2019.
“The most heart-wrenching points in my experiences with campus Wi-Fi were when I had to sign in to my Western account daily in order to use their Wi-Fi,” said Bridget Toth, a 2024 Western alumna. “Every time I re-entered campus, their networks acted like they’d never even heard of me.”
As digital access becomes increasingly critical to higher education, Western is taking steps to fix the problem. On February 6, EIS rolled back the software upgrade that seemed to be causing the issue, and has been checking in with people who submitted trouble tickets, Miller said.
In the future, Miller said EIS will be watching developer reports to see what bugs are reported for each version of the software, and deploy it after they have been resolved.
Miller also said the university has made efforts to improve coverage by adding 1,000 wireless access points to residence halls, mainly in Birnam Wood and The Ridge.
“It greatly expanded the amount of coverage and wireless network services in those areas,” Miller said.
Troubleshooting resources for different types of devices can be found on the ResTek site, and the ATUS help desk in Haggard Hall 123 can also provide connection assistance.
Natalie Jones (she/they) is a campus life reporter for The Front this quarter. She is a third-year visual journalism major. In their free time, they make collage art & jewelry, take too many photos and direct the treble A Cappella club on campus. You can reach her at nataliejones.thefront@gmail.com.
Kaitlyn Ward (she/her) is a senior at Western. She is a newswriting & editorial journalism major getting her minor in psychology. You can most likely find her making coffee or going on hikes! You can reach her at wardk25@wwu.edu.
