Use eduroam At Other Institutions

Explains how Bowdoin students, faculty, and staff can use their Bowdoin credentials to connect to Wi-Fi at other colleges, universities, and research institutions that participate in the eduroam network. Covers what to expect, when VPN is still needed, and how to troubleshoot a failed connection.

Questions

• Can I use my Bowdoin account to connect to Wi-Fi at another college or university?
• How do I connect to eduroam when I'm visiting another institution?
• Does my Bowdoin Wi-Fi login work at other schools?
• Will I still need VPN when connected to eduroam at another campus?
• Where can I find eduroam outside of Bowdoin?
• eduroam isn't working at the institution I'm visiting — what do I do?

Environment

This article applies to Bowdoin students, faculty, and staff who want to use Wi-Fi at other colleges, universities, libraries, or research institutions while away from Bowdoin's campus. Bowdoin is a member of the eduroam consortium, which allows community members to connect to participating institutions using their Bowdoin credentials.

eduroam is available at thousands of institutions in the United States and in more than 100 countries worldwide. A searchable map of participating locations is linked in the Additional Resources section.

Resolution

How to connect to eduroam at another institution

Connecting to eduroam at another participating institution works the same way as connecting at Bowdoin — using the same credentials you use on campus.

1. When in range of the visiting institution's wireless network, select eduroam from the list of available networks on your device.
2. Enter your credentials when prompted:
   • Username: Your full Bowdoin email address (e.g., jdoe@bowdoin.edu). The @bowdoin.edu suffix is required — it tells eduroam to route your authentication back to Bowdoin's servers.
   • Password: Your current Bowdoin password.
3. If prompted to accept a security certificate, confirm the server name references Bowdoin (such as radius.bowdoin.edu) before accepting. Accept or trust the certificate to complete the connection.

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What to expect when connected at another institution

When you connect to eduroam at another institution, your authentication is handled by Bowdoin's servers — the visiting institution never sees your password. However, the connection is considered off-campus from Bowdoin's perspective, regardless of which institution's network you are on.

This means:

• Bowdoin resources that require VPN are not accessible without connecting to the Bowdoin Virtual Private Network (VPN) separately. This includes Microwave (network file storage), PolarFlix, and the High-Performance Computing (HPC) cluster.
• Bowdoin resources that do not require VPN are accessible normally. Microsoft 365 (email, Teams, OneDrive), Canvas, Workday, and most web-based Bowdoin tools are available without VPN.
• The visiting institution's local resources (such as library databases or internal systems) may or may not be accessible depending on how that institution has configured its eduroam network.

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If eduroam is not working at another institution

eduroam is managed independently by each participating institution, so occasional connectivity issues can occur that are outside Bowdoin's control. If you cannot connect at a visiting institution, try the following:

• Confirm you are using your full email address. The most common mistake is entering only your username (e.g., jdoe) instead of the full address (e.g., jdoe@bowdoin.edu). eduroam requires the full email format to route authentication correctly.
• Confirm your Bowdoin password is current. If you recently changed your Bowdoin password, your device may be using the old one. Forget the eduroam network on your device and reconnect with your updated credentials.
• Check that eduroam is available at that location. Not every building or outdoor area at a participating institution will have eduroam coverage. Ask a local IT help desk whether eduroam is available in the specific area where you are trying to connect.
• Try the institution's guest network. If eduroam is unavailable or not working, the visiting institution may offer a guest wireless network as an alternative. Keep in mind that a guest network may require a separate registration.
• Contact the Bowdoin Service Desk. If you believe your Bowdoin eduroam credentials are the problem, the Service Desk can verify your account configuration.

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.

Additional Resources

• eduroam: Find participating institutions worldwide
• eduroam US: Find participating institutions in the United States