Using Berkeley AirBears Wireless Systems

Airbears is the wireless network installed in the Banway building along with the high speed wired network. The "access point" is located outside the conference room high up on the wall. This access point allows usesrs with wireless access capabilities to connect to the campus network.

Connecting instructions are provided at http://airbears.berkeley.edu/howto.shtml .

Note: AirBears is NOT encrypted. Traffic sent or received can be intercepted by anyone connected to the wireless network. It it strongly advised that you only use applications that provide end-to-end encryption.

If you are using a browser make sure the address window (where the URL appears) has https:// preceeding the address. Also, the browser will have a padlock in the locked position displayed somewhere on the bottom of the browser to indicate a secure connection.

Please be aware that the traffic on the AirBears wireless network is NOT encrypted. Traffic you send and receive over the AirBears wireless network is visible to any other person with a computer and 802.11b wireless ethernet card. Due to this, we strongly recommend that you only use applications that encrypt data for security, that is:

• Only read from and submit confidential data to webpages that are secure - the lock in your browser window should be closed (https and not simply http).
• Retrieve your email via BearMail and NOT via Eudora or any mail program that uses unencrypted POP or IMAP.
• Login to UNIX shell accounts using ssh or kerberized-telnet and NOT telnet.
• Be especially careful in ensuring that the application is encrypted and secure when providing usernames and passwords.

Make sure any data you store on your hard drive is encrypted with a strong password/pass phrase. Do not do or access anything that may expose you, your data, your computer, and the campus to possible compromise. If in doubt as to what you are doing or are allowed to do on a wireless access point then DO NOT DO IT!