Body
Questions
- How do I connect my Roku, Fire Stick, or Apple TV to Bowdoin Wi-Fi?
- How do I connect an Amazon Echo or smart speaker to Bowdoin's wireless network?
- How do I get my smart TV online at Bowdoin?
- Why won't my streaming device join the BOWDOIN or eduroam network?
- How do I register a device for BOWDOIN-PSK?
- How do I find the Wi-Fi MAC address on a streaming device or smart speaker?
- My device registration expired — how do I re-register?
- I lost the password from my registration email — how do I get it again?
Environment
This article applies to Bowdoin students, faculty, and staff who want to connect streaming devices, smart TVs, or smart speakers to campus wireless. These devices cannot connect to the BOWDOIN or eduroam networks because those networks use WPA2-Enterprise authentication, which most consumer devices do not support.
Bowdoin provides a dedicated wireless network called BOWDOIN-PSK for these devices. BOWDOIN-PSK uses a unique device-specific password for each registered device. This article covers:
- Streaming devices: Roku, Amazon Fire TV / Fire Stick, Apple TV
- Smart speakers: Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, and similar devices
- Smart TVs and other Wi-Fi-enabled consumer electronics
For gaming consoles such as PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch, see Register Game Consoles for BOWDOIN-PSK in the Related Articles section.
Do not use BOWDOIN-PSK for computers, phones, or tablets. Those devices should connect to eduroam or BOWDOIN instead. Devices found on the wrong network will be removed.
Resolution
Step 1: Find your device's Wi-Fi MAC address
Each device has a unique Wi-Fi Media Access Control (MAC) address — a 12-character identifier made up of numbers and letters separated by colons (for example, A1:B2:C3:D4:E5:F6). You need this address to register your device. Many devices list both a wired (Ethernet) and a wireless MAC address — use the wireless one.
If you need to power on the device to complete initial setup in order to find the MAC address, choose a Private Network option if prompted — do not select Guest Network at any point.
- Roku: From the home screen, go to Settings > About. The wireless MAC address is listed there. It is also printed on a label on the device itself.
- Amazon Fire TV / Fire Stick: From the home screen, go to Settings > My Fire TV (or System) > About > Network. The MAC address is listed there.
- Apple TV: Go to Settings > General > About. Scroll down to find the Wi-Fi Address.
- Amazon Echo / Echo Dot: Open the Amazon Alexa app on your phone, select your device, then go to Device Settings > About to find the MAC address.
- Smart TV: Look in the TV's network or Wi-Fi settings menu. The location varies by manufacturer — refer to your TV's documentation if needed.
- Other devices: Check the network or Wi-Fi settings on the device, or refer to the manufacturer's documentation.
MAC address randomization: Some devices randomize the MAC address they broadcast as a privacy feature. Because BOWDOIN-PSK registration is tied to a specific MAC address, a randomizing device will fail to connect even after a successful registration. Look for a setting called Use device MAC, Private address, or MAC randomization in your device's network settings and turn it off before registering.
Step 2: Register your device at the BOWDOIN-PSK portal
- On a computer or phone, open a web browser and go to bowdoin-psk.bowdoin.edu.
- Sign in with your Bowdoin email address and password. The portal uses Single Sign-On (SSO), so you may already be signed in.
- Select Create.
- Enter your device's Wi-Fi MAC address in the field provided.
- Enter a descriptive name for the device (for example, Alex's Roku) so you can identify it later.
- Select Create to complete the registration.
- Check your Bowdoin email for a message containing the device's registration details and its unique wireless password. You can also print the details from the portal at this point.
Save your password email. The portal will not display the password again after you leave the page. If you lose the password, return to
bowdoin-psk.bowdoin.edu, locate your device registration, and generate a new one.
Step 3: Connect your device to BOWDOIN-PSK
- On your device, open the Wi-Fi or network settings and select BOWDOIN-PSK.
- Enter the unique password from your registration email when prompted.
- Your device should now connect to the BOWDOIN-PSK network.
Do not connect this device to BOWDOIN-GUEST at any time. If a device is connected to BOWDOIN-GUEST before or after registering for BOWDOIN-PSK, it will be unable to join BOWDOIN-PSK and will require Service Desk assistance to resolve. See Troubleshoot Devices on the BOWDOIN-PSK Network in the Related Articles section if this happens.
There is no set limit to the number of devices you can register. Registrations carry over between semesters but expire annually — if a registration expires, repeat these steps to re-register.
Additional Help
If you need further assistance, you have several options:
- Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
- Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
- In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
- Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.