Problem: 

Your laptop, tablet or smartphone periodically disconnects from Wi-Fi on campus and requires you to re-register.


Background: 

Some network devices provide added security by using a "rotating" private Wi-Fi address to reduce tracking on Wi-Fi networks. However, if your device is set to use a rotating private Wi-Fi address, it will stop connecting to campus Wi-Fi every two weeks, and you will need to re-register the device.


On Apple devices (macOS and iOS), the rotating private Wi-Fi address feature is turned on by default.


Solution:

To avoid Wi-Fi service disruption every two weeks, change the private Wi-Fi address from "rotating" to "fixed".


In macOS (Sequoia 15 or later)...

  1. Choose Apple menu  > System Settings, then click Wi-Fi in the sidebar.
  2. Click the Details button or More Info button next to the network name (i.e. ResNet WiFi or BearNet).
  3. From the menu next to Private Wi-Fi Address, choose Fixed.



In iOS (version 14 or later)...

  1. Open the Settings app, then tap Wi-Fi.
  2. If you aren’t currently connected to Wi-Fi, tap Edit in the upper-right corner of the screen.
  3. Tap the More Info button next to the network name (i.e. ResNet WiFi or BearNet).
  4. Tap Private Wi-Fi Address, then choose Fixed.



Alternatively, to avoid registration issues, connect to "Golden Bears" secure Wi-Fi. (Note: If you use Golden Bears secure Wi-Fi exclusively on campus, we recommend turning off the Auto-Join option for other campus networks (i.e. ResNet WiFi and BearNet).