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Connect to AirPennNet and JoinNow

Connect to AirPennNet is a wireless network which delivers a wizard called JoinNow to assist University of Pennsylvania students, faculty, staff, and guests with a PennKey to configure and connect their devices to AirPennNet.

Using Connect to AirPennNet to configure your computer for AirPennNet

Visit any http:// (not https://) site after connecting to the Connect to AirPennNet wireless network and open a web browser. You will be redirected to the JoinNow configuration page, https://cloud.securew2.com/public/29559/AirPennNet/ 

JoinNow will attempt to auto-detect your operating system. Should it do so incorrectly, you can select the correct operating system from the drop-down menu at the bottom of the page.

Once your correct operating system is selected, you will be presented with simple instructions on what to do based on your operating system. For most operating systems, this will consist of clicking on the “JoinNow” button to download an application wizard.

For operating systems that use an application wizard, the wizard will require elevated user account privileges to make configuration changes in your operating system. If requested, please supply your device's administrative username and password to continue.

Below are instructions for configuring Mac, Windows, iOS and Android devices using Connect to AirPennNet, along with some troubleshooting tips and additional technical information.

macOS

JoinNow can configure macOS in two different ways. If you have difficulty with one method, you can try the alternate one.

Method 1: App Method
 

  1. Select ' Connect to AirPennNet' from the Wi-fi networks drop-down on the Mac's menu bar
  2. Open a browser (preferably Safari) and go to http://www.neverssl.com or https://cloud.securew2.com/public/29559/AirPennNet/
  3. Click the "JoinNow" button
  4. An app will be downloaded. Click "Allow" and select the download in your 'Downloads' folder 
  5. Open the downloaded SecureW2 app
  6. Type in your PennKey and password and then select "Next"
  7. Enter your computer's account password when prompted (or the password to an administrator account on the computer)
  8. You'll be prompted for your computer's password again; select "Always Allow."
  9. You're configured; if you're not migrated to AirPennNet automatically, select it from the Wi-fi menu on your Mac's title bar

Method 2: Profile Method
 

  1. Select ' Connect to AirPennNet' from the Wi-fi networks drop-down on the Mac's menu bar
  2. Open a browser (preferably Safari) and go to http://www.neverssl.com or https://cloud.securew2.com/public/29559/AirPennNet/
  3. Click the "Configure Profile Only" radio button
  4. Enter your PennKey and password in the fields provided
  5. Click 'JoinNow'
  6. A file named 'SecureW2.mobileconfig will be downloaded. Open your 'Downloads' folder and open it.
  7. You'll get a prompt to open your System Preferences. Open the System Preferences from the Apple menu and select "Profiles."
  8. In your profile list, select 'Univeristy of Pennsylvania AirPennNet MobileConfig' (it should have a yellow triangle next to it) and click the "Install..." button
  9. Enter your computer's account password when prompted (or the password to an administrator account on the computer)
  10. You're configured; if you're not migrated to AirPennNet automatically, select it from the Wi-fi menu on your Mac's title bar

 

  1. Click on the Wi-Fi icon in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar and connect to " Connect to AirPennNet."
  2. Open a browser and go to http://www.neverssl.com or https://cloud.securew2.com/public/29559/AirPennNet/
  3. Click the "JoinNow" button
  4. An app will be downloaded. Click "Run" when the pop-up asking if you want to run it appears.
  5. In the app, enter your PennKey and PennKey password when prompted, and select Next.
  6. If prompted, enter the name and password of an administrator account on the computer.
  7. Select Done
  8. You're configured; if you're not migrated to AirPennNet automatically, select it from the Wi-fi menu on your taskbar.
  1. Go to Settings > Wifi and select the ' Connect to AirPennNet' network
  2. Open Safari (other browsers will not work) and go to http://www.neverssl.com or https://cloud.securew2.com/public/29559/AirPennNet/
  3. On the JoinNow page, enter your PennKey and password in the fields provided
  4. Click 'JoinNow.'
  5. You may be prompted to install a profile; if so, select "Allow."
  6. Open the Settings app on your iOS device
  7. Select "Profile Downloaded." If "Profile Downloaded" does not appear, Navigate to Settings > General > Profile (iOS 14 and older) or Settings > General > VPN and Device Management (iOS 15 and higher) and select the "University of Pennsylvania AirPennNet" profile
  8. Select "Install" and enter your device's passcode or password
  9. Select "Install" again and then select "Done."
  10. You're configured; if you're not migrated to AirPennNet automatically, select it from the Wi-fi menu in your Settings app.

Configuration of Android requires installation of the SecureW2 app from the Android Play Store. You can download the app from Connect to AirPennNet, but installing the app in advance makes configuring AirPennNet simpler. Below are steps for both scenarios.

  1. Open the Settings app and go to Connections > Wi-Fi. Select the ' Connect to AirPennNet' network.
  2. Open the Chrome app and go to http://www.neverssl.com or https://cloud.securew2.com/public/29559/AirPennNet/
  3. From the JoinNow page, install the SecureW2 app by clicking the "Download" button, making sure that "Google Play Store" is selected. If you installed SecureW2 already, you can skip this step.
  4. Return to Chrome and click on the "JoinNow" button.
  5. The SecureW2 app will open; enter your PennKey and password when prompted and select "Continue."
  6. You're configured; if you're not migrated to AirPennNet automatically, select it from Connections > Wi-fi in your Settings app

 

The Connect to AirPennNet​ website does not display when opening a browser:

  • Make sure that the device is configured for DHCP; the page will not load if the device's IP address or DNS servers are hard-coded.
  • Verify that the URL in the browser is an http: address rather than an https: address; using an https:// address will cause a certificate mismatch error in the browser and the page won't load correctly. Some browsers automatically switch to https: if they know a site supports it. http://neverssl.com is a safe site to enter into a browser when trying to open Connect to AirPennNet. Navigating directly to the configuration page at https://cloud.securew2.com/public/29559/AirPennNet/ will also work.
  • Turn off any active proxy or VPN software, as the Connect to AirPennNet network will not allow connections to outside proxy servers or VPNs.

macOS, iOS, Android: The “JoinNow” link on the Connect to AirPennNet​ website does not work

macOS, iOS and many Android devices include a stripped-down web browser called the "Captive Network Assistant" that sometimes launches when the OS detects that a system is connected to a captive portal like Connect to AirPennNet. The Captive Network Assistant cannot download files, so it cannot be used to download the JoinNow configuration file. Should the Captive Network Assistant launch, please close it and use a full-fledged browser to complete the AirPennNet configuration process.

After running the configuration tool, the device cannot connect to AirPennNet

Make sure that the username and password are being entered correctly. The most common culprit for a device being unable to connect to AirPennNet is improperly entered user credentials; trends indicate that the soft-keyboard on iOS devices is particularly prone to accidental mistyping of usernames and passwords. Remember that PennKey usernames are case-sensitive and must be all lower-case; make sure that your device is not using any autocorrect function to capitalize the first letter in your username. In addition, make sure that letters in passwords are not being improperly capitalized. If a username or password is improperly entered, you will need to re-run the wizard as the credentials are saved as part of the device profile.

For macOS and iOS devices in particular, improperly configured device profiles can be "sticky;" it is generally good practice to delete the profile from the preferences before re-running the wizard.

A support file contains information about the machine, network adapters, and any errors received while the JoinNow wizard is attempting to configure your device. This information is useful to both the Client Care and the vendor if escalation is needed, and will minimize requests for additional information and data.

On a problematic device, follow the steps below for your device to create a Support File and include it and a description of your problem when you contact ISC Client Care for assistance.

Android OS:

Tap the three dots in the upper-left-hand corner and select “Create and Email Help File” or tap “Send Error Logs” on the main screen, then use the mail app of your choice to email the logs. (As this requires a network connection, you may need to connect to a cellular network to mail the logs first

iOS

As the iOS configuration is just a .mobileconfig file, it is not possible to create a Support File. When contacting Client Care, please include the wireless MAC address and the time you attempted to connect to assist with troubleshooting. Also, if there is difficulty connecting after the profile was installed, verify the user has entered the proper PennKey username and password.

macOS/Windows

Select Settings > Troubleshoot > Enable Advanced Logging, and then select Settings > Troubleshoot > Create Help File.