Frequently Asked Questions about logging into the unencrypted wireless network
Contents
- What are the risks of using an unencrypted connection?
- How can I use an encrypted connection?
- What kind of account is required for login?
- What to do if I forgot my password?
- Where can I get additional information?
- What is different for guests at the University of Cologne (using the eduroam network)?
- What are the risks of using an unencrypted connection?
- How can I use an encrypted connection?
Using the encrypted wireless network eduroam (recommended)
Users of Microsoft Windows may use a small program, available for download on our main website, to easily set up an encrypted network connection to the eduroam network. There are versions of the program available for Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.
On other platforms, e.g. devices of the Apple brand (Macbook, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad), Android smartphones, and common Linux systems, specific steps must be taken to set up the connection. Instructions for doing so can be found on the regular RRZK website (mostly in German). To view those pages, however, you are required to login first or use a different internet connection. You may wish to write down the following address: http://ukoeln.de/yW124
Additional encryption using VPN
In seldom cases where the recommended network access via the encrypted eduroam network cannot be used, another possibility is to establish an encryption layer using VPN (virtual private network) technology. This method is a bit cumbersome, as it requires you to login twice: Once to set up the connection to the unencrypted wireless network, and another time to establish the VPN connection.
Information about the VPN service and how to download the VPN client can be found on the following website: http://ukoeln.de/CI8EU. Again, this link can only be opened after login or using a different internet connection, so you may wish to write it down or save it as a bookmark in your browser.
Please note that setting up a VPN connection requires a Studierenden-Account or Personal-Account; it cannot be used with a WLAN-Account.- What kind of account is required for login?
- either a Studierenden-Account, issued by RRZK to students of Cologne University,
- or a Personal-Account, issued by RRZK to University of Cologne staff and University Clinic of Cologne staff (partially),
- or a WLAN-Account, issued to visiting scholars by the institute at the University of Cologne sposoring their stay.
- What to do if I forgot my password?
- Where can I get additional information?
- What is different for guests at the University of Cologne (using the eduroam network)?
When using an unencrypted wireless connection, eavesdropping is very easy as the data is transmitted over the air. Anyone within the service area (30 to 50 meters, that is approx. 100 to 150 ft.) can pick up the radio signals and access the data sent and received by all parties, including, of course, sensitive information such as passwords. Because of the range mentioned, you are unlikely to discover you are being spied on, as the attacker could be located in another room or on another floor.
By mounting an attack called Man In The Middle, an eavesdropper could trick you into visiting a website which is looking very similar to the one you wanted to see, but is in fact under his or her control. The attacker may then exploit security holes on your computer system to gain full control over it (starting malicious software; screengrabbing; keylogging; copying, deleting or manipulating files; etc.). Of course, there are also a number of other techniques, e.g. Session Hijacking or Rogue DHCP, that an attacker could use to steal information or to direct you to fake websites. Software to conduct identity thefts, i.e. to gain access to your mail account or social network account, is readily available nowadays and requires no special "hacker skills." Thus, such attacks can be carried out by anyone very easily and are quite realistic.
Taking into account exploitation techniques that became known to the public in September of 2011, transmitting data over this network may even be unsafe when the application software (e.g. browser, e-mail client, instant messenger) uses strong encryption and is based on a trustworthy public key infrastructure. We therefore strongly advise you to use an encrypted network connection instead.
When using a Studierenden-Account or Personal-Account, you have two ways for doing so, with the first one to be preferred. With a WLAN-Account, only the first option described in the following is available.
Users logging in via eduroam please see the notes below instead.
To be able to login using this website, you will need:
Credentials issued by other institutions in Cologne, e.g. the University Clinic or the University Library, cannot be used to login to the wireless networks operated by RRZK. Please also note that credentials issued by other institutions of the eduroam effort can not be used anymore to login using this website; instead, an encrypted connection using EAP will have to be used in these cases (see below).
If you are a student enrolled at University of Cologne and did not activate your Studierenden-Account yet, please come to one of the service desks and bring along your student's ID (Studierendenausweis) and some photo ID (passport or similar).
Students enrolled at other educational institutions can use the wireless service only if that institution takes part in the eduroam effort, see below. Specific information about this topic is available from our regular website at http://ukoeln.de/3TxTY (as mentioned before, you will need to login first to access this website or use a different internet connection).
As part of the University of Cologne's staff or the University Clinic of Cologne staff (if eligible), you should contact the help desk if you did not activate your Personal-Account yet.
Guest scholars visiting University of Cologne whose home institutions do not take part in the eduroam effort should get in touch with the institute at the University of Cologne sponsoring their stay to have them create a temporary WLAN-Account for their use of the wireless network.
If you forgot the password to your Studierenden-Account or Personal-Account, you can set a new password using uniKIM by answering the secret questions you set up when activating the account. However, the uniKIM website is only available after successfully logging into the wireless network or using another Internet connection.
Should you be unable to answer the secret questions as well, please come by the helpdesk to reset the password. Don't forget to bring along your student's ID (Studierendenausweis) and photo ID (passport or ID card).If you forgot the password to your WLAN-Account issued to you as a guest scholar, you can set a new password using the uniKIM website. The uniKIM website is available only after successfully logging into the wireless network or using another Internet connection. In case you are unable to remember the answers to the questions asked when setting a new password through uniKIM, please have the person that created your account initially create a new one for you.
Please note that the initial password for your WLAN-Account, which you received via e-mail, can not be used to log into the wireless network. It can only be used to set up your WLAN-Account using the uniKIM website. There, you will set a password of your own. Only this password can in turn be used for logging into the wireless network.
Comprehensive information about the wireless network and how to get access to it is available form our website (mostly in German). Please note that the following link can only be used after login or using a different internet connection: http://ukoeln.de/NIDFE
The Helpdesk will be able to assist you in setting up a wireless connection on your laptop computer. Please bring along the power supply unit of your laptop when coming to the helpdesk's office, as some operations necessary to prepare the computer for safe wireless access may require it.
Location: Weyertal 121 (on the opposite side of the street from the Evangelisches Krankenhaus hospital), ground floor
Phone: (0221) 470-89555
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10 am to 2 pm
Opening hours for resetting passwords: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm
Accounts not issued by RRZK cannot be used to login using this website anymore. Instead, users visiting Cologne University from another institution taking part in the eduroam effort will have to use an encrypted wireless connection, which has always been the recommended type of service to use.
Since a wireless network named eduroam is available at University of Cologne, users from institutions where this common name is used should be able to login into this encrypted network without any changes. If your home institution uses another name instead, you will have to create a new network profile that uses the so-called SSID eduroam.
More information on how to use the encrypted eduroam network can be found on our website: http://ukoeln.de/Ygpoe (mostly in German). As before, this link can only be opened after login or using a different internet connection, so you may wish to write it down or save it as a bookmark in your browser. If you have trouble setting up a connection to the eduroam network, the helpdesk of your home institution should be your primary contact as part of the configuration is specific to your home site (not the site you are visiting, i.e. the University of Cologne). Hence, RRZK's helpdesk can only provide limited support in this case.