iTouch concerns :o

[bikester]

Hey guys, first time poster, long time Apple fan.

I was hoping that some of you guys could kindly give me some insight on what I could expect from an iPod Touch, which I am HEAVILY leaning on buying as my Christmas gift this year.

Basically, I am coming off of an iPod video, but wanted to upgrade because of the flash drive over HDD, internet, touchscreen, every cool feature basically. My main concern is the WiFi use though. Since I live on a college campus I am hoping to be able to always pull out my touch between classes and browse videos and things, does anyone have any really bad Wi-Fi problems with strong networks? My school has a 802.11b Wi-Fi connection all across campus, but I heard that the iPod Touch doesn't support the 802.1x authentication, which I am pretty sure (like other Unversities) that my campus has this.

Anyway, any insight on Wi-Fi, the touch, and how to work out any little kinks would be appreciated!

[zardoz66]

Some people have reported that there campus uses WPA enterprise and the touch does not do this. I would check with your collage IS dept. and ask if this device would work on the network.

[bikester]

Hmm, is there any work around to something like this? I heard that there was a way to share the internet connection with desktop computers for the iPod Touch. Does that make any sense?

[kornchild2002]

Well, if the iPod touch isn't compatible with your campus wi-fi then it isn't compatible. There won't be anyway around that. I think you will be stuck with a trial and error method for testing compatibility. You can also call your campus internet service department and see what type of internet protection they have. If they use WPA then the iPod touch won't work. I am not sure what my campus uses but my iPod touch works fine. I don't know what it is called but my campus's protection is a little different. You go online with a device and you punch in your campus e-mail address, password, and a validation code. That then registers your device with their servers and you can access the internet after about 10 minutes of processing.

[bikester]

Here is an email my buddy just showed me that he sent to the IT department a while ago about this WPA enterprise issue:

"Thank you for contacting IT Help Central.



You are correct that the Texas Tech wireless network does use the 802.1x authentication method. This was put in place so as to make the network as secure as possible as well as the data carried on that network. Unfortunately, Apple did not build 802.1x compatibility into the iPhone or iPod Touch. This means that you will not be able to properly authenticate with the network and, therefore, that you will not be able to use the network with these devices. If you would like to you can voice your concerns to Apple by visiting the website http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipodtouch.html. We’re sorry that we were not able to help you connect."


Sigh. I guess I am holding off then. I was looking forward to easy internet on campus :(

I could still set up internet I suppose with a router... would it be possible to make an access point with my PC/ethernet connection/Wireless router?

[DerekVOF]

Yeah, it would be easy to make an access point with your PC, but of course your range would be limited to a couple hundred feet (depending on obstructions). It's really not hard to setup your own access point.