Wi-Fi Improvement Project

How to Prepare for CU Secure Wi-Fi

There's no downside to registering your personal devices in advance. Do it now:

Where to Experience the New Wi-Fi

Before fully retiring UCB Wireless and UCB Guest in late December, CU Boulder is testing the new Wi-Fi networks, CU Secure and CU Guest, in a handful of early-access buildings this fall.

Click a building below to view it on the campus map.

Available Now

Coming Soon

In the following buildings, the new Wi-Fi networks will be turned on outside of business hours and be available at the start of business on the specified date.

Nov. 3, 2025 (Mon.): University Memorial Center
Nov. 5, 2025 (Wed.):
Late December: All other campus buildings

OverviewImpactPrepare Your DevicesFAQSupport & Feedback

Overview

This project's goal is to improve the day-to-day Wi-Fi experience for campus users. So far, the project team has upgraded key network components and is currently replacing UCB Wireless and UCB Guest in early-access test buildings with two new Wi-Fi networks that better meet the campus's needs.

The eduroam Wi-Fi network will not be affected.

Benefits of CU Secure
(replaces UCB Wireless)

Two-year registration period
Certificate-based authentication instead of IdentiKey login
Enterprise-grade, end-to-end encryption
Improved support tools
Better integration with CU Boulder's Secure Computing standard for computers

Benefits of CU Guest
(replaces UCB Guest)

Start-of-semester IdentiKey login for users who haven't yet installed the CU Secure certificate/app
Improved support tools
Device portal for self-enrollment of gaming consoles, smart TVs and other specialty Wi-Fi devices
Event portal for pre-assigning guest Wi-Fi credentials to event attendees

Impact

During early access (October–December 2025), CU Secure and CU Guest will only be available in the campus buildings listed at the top of the page.

UCB Wireless and UCB Guest will remain available in all other campus buildings until late December, when they'll be fully retired and replaced.

Prepare your devices

University-purchased computers (No action needed)

If your computer was purchased through the university, check to see if it is enrolled in Secure Computing. If it is, then it already has the CU Secure certificate installed; you don't need to take any action for that device.

If your computer isn't enrolled in Secure Computing yet, follow the personal device process below to register it.

Personal laptops, smartphones and tablets (Action needed: Register your device)

If you connect a personal laptop, smartphone or tablet to UCB Wireless or UCB Guest, you'll need to install the CU Secure certificate/app to register it on the network.

To learn how, watch the videos below or follow our tutorials for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android or iPhone and iPad.

Once installed, the certificate/app will allow your device to connect to CU Secure automatically for two years before prompting you to log in or re-register.

Specialty Wi-Fi devices

Business-critical consumer Wi-Fi devices (e.g., Wi-Fi scanners, temperature sensors) that currently connect to UCB Wireless will have their records moved to the new networks and should connect either automatically or after a reboot or reset.

If you brought a personal consumer Wi-Fi device to campus (e.g., gaming console, smart TV, smart speaker), you can register it on CU Guest yourself through the Specialty Wi-Fi Devices Portal.

Frequently Asked Questions

These FAQs are specific to this project's scope and timeline. For network-specific FAQs, see CU Secure Wi-Fi - FAQ.

Will UCB Wireless and UCB Guest still be available in early-access buildings?

No. To prevent impacts to Wi-Fi signal strength, campus buildings will only ever have three Wi-Fi networks broadcasting at a given time:

eduroam
UCB Wireless or CU Secure
UCB Guest or CU Guest

Wherever CU Secure and CU Guest are available, UCB Wireless and UCB Guest are not. When the project completes in late December, UCB Wireless and UCB Guest will be permanently retired.

Which Wi-Fi network should I use?

UCB Wireless Buildings (Current Wi-Fi)

Wi-Fi Network	Who should use it	Login Requirement
UCB Wireless	All CU Boulder affiliates with an active IdentiKey	Once every 12 months
eduroam	Faculty, staff, students and visitors from institutions that use eduroam	Once every 12 months
UCB Guest	Guests visiting the CU Boulder campus	Daily

CU Secure Buildings (New Wi-Fi)

Wi-Fi Network	Who should use it	Login Requirement
CU Secure	All CU Boulder affiliates with an active IdentiKey	Once every two years
eduroam	Faculty, staff, students and visitors from institutions that use eduroam	Once every 12 months
CU Guest	Guests visiting the CU Boulder campus	Daily

When I move between regular campus buildings and pilot buildings, will I have to re-register whenever I leave one service area and enter another?

No. Once you've downloaded and installed the CU Secure certificate on your device, your Wi-Fi connection should automatically shift between CU Secure and UCB Wireless as you move out of one service area and into another.

Will this project solve every Wi-Fi problem on campus?

No. This project is scoped to address the Wi-Fi problems discussed above, including improving network registration stability and allowing users to self-enroll their gaming consoles, smart TVs and other screenless Wi-Fi devices.

Issues that are out of scope for this project include those related to poor connectivity in certain areas of campus, outdoor Wi-Fi coverage, and the cellular network provided by mobile carriers (e.g., Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T).

Support & Feedback

If you have project-related questions, send an email to oithelp@colorado.edu with Wi-Fi Improvement Project in the subject line.

To improve the CU Secure Wi-Fi registration process for the rest of campus, please share your onboarding experience using our CU Secure Wi-Fi feedback form.