It can be frustrating when you can’t connect to your school WiFi. You can’t work on your assignments or take an exam online. Luckily, we know how to get school WiFi on your phone.
Connecting to your school WiFi is as simple as you think. A lot of users also rely on this feature to connect to the WiFi successfully.
Let’s get to it!
To use the school’s internet, first, get the login details from your school IT. Switch on the WiFi of your device and scan for available networks.
Before we discuss the above steps elaborately, you must know what you need to connect to a school WiFi.
What You Need to Know How to Connect to School WiFi
If your school has wireless Internet, you can connect your device to it. You’ll only need the login information.
But first, make sure your data is turned off, and your WiFi is enabled.
✅ Get Your Network Information
One way is to contact your school’s IT department and ask for the login details. Another way is through the router’s manual.
✅ Be Prepared to Connect via a Portal
Most public WiFi networks let you browse without logging in, but others have a link to their login page. You may encounter issues if you don’t go through the captive portal.
✅ Access to the Internet May Be Restricted
Your school’s admin may have blocked access to some online resources. If a website is blocked, you may need to use VPN or an alternate DNS server to bypass the restrictions.
✅ Expect a Device Limit
Most school WiFis only allow one device per person to save bandwidth and avoid network congestion.
Here’s everything you need to know about connecting to your school’s WiFi. Let’s proceed to the full steps of the process.
Full Steps on How to Connect Your Phone to School WiFi
Before we move on to the actual steps of how to get school WiFi on your phone, check to see if the Internet is down. Connect to another WiFi network to find out.
If you can’t connect to your school’s WiFi, but other devices do, your device may not be in range of the router. It is also possible your WiFi is turned off.
Once you rule out connectivity issues, you can proceed to connect to your school’s WiFi.
1. Get Your Login Information from Your School’s IT
Since you’re connecting to your school’s WiFi, you can expect the process to be not as straightforward as you would expect.
If you’re at home, all you need to do is get your device to scan for your WiFi network.
However, since it’s a school WiFi, there are going to be limitations on how you can connect to the network.
So expect to deal with requirements and restrictions before you can connect. One of these is to make sure you get your login information from the IT department.
Here’s how to get your WiFi details:
- Contact your school’s WiFi and IT department.
- Provide them with the requirements to access your school’s network.
- Wait for them to generate your credentials.
- Get your WiFi username and password.
Tip: If your access to WiFi relies on a generated username and password for the entire term, make sure to save it for future reference.
2. Prepare Your Phone to Connect
Now that you have your login information, you want to get your device ready for connection.
Since the process is going to be vastly different from your home network, you will need to take extra steps to ensure you can connect seamlessly.
The fewer errors and issues you will face makes it easier for your device to connect to the school’s WiFi network.
Here’s how to prepare your phone for your school’s WiFi network:
- Check your phone’s software for updates.
- If they’re available, continue to update your device.
- Update apps on your phone to their latest versions.
- Open your phone’s WiFi.
3. Scan and Find Your School’s WiFi
Now that you have opened your phone’s WiFi, it’s now time to check if you can detect your school’s wireless network.
In most cases, you should not have problems when it comes to signal quality.
As long as you’re in an unambiguous part of your school, you should be able to enjoy a strong WiFi signal.
Here’s how to find your school’s network:
- Open your phone’s Settings.
- Go to the WiFi section.
- Scan for available WiFi networks.
- Identify your school’s network from the list.
- Tap on it to proceed to the next step.
Note: You can also scan for your school's WiFi network through your phone's Quick Settings or Control Center.
4. Open the Portal and Login to Your School’s WiFi
Most school WiFi networks will come with another layer of security before you can connect to the internet.
This added layer allows you to authenticate your credentials before you are granted internet connection.
Most public WiFi networks will have this as part of their security and monitoring measures that help in managing the WiFi network.
Here’s how to login via your school’s captive portal:
- Tap on your school’s WiFi network from the list.
- Wait for the captive portal to load on your phone.
- Type in your provided username and password.
- Wait for the network to confirm and authenticate your device.
Note: Not being able to go through this page will prevent you from connecting to the internet.
5. Best Practices for Using Your School’s WiFi
Now that you’re connected to your school’s WiFi, you need to remember that you’re part of a public network.
There are going to be a lot of implications since you’re connected to your school WiFi. Of course all your traffic and activities are going to be monitored by your provider.
In order for you to have a smooth experience when it comes to connecting to your school’s WiFi, you need to understand that you have to follow their guidelines.
Here are some of the best practices when connected to public WiFi:
- Use a trusted network like your school’s.
- Check the WiFi network name before connecting.
- Turn off auto connect on your phone to prevent unexpected connections.
- Don’t visit unsecured websites while using the school’s WiFi.
- Don’t share files while connected to the school’s WiFi.
Note: You want to safeguard your information first before the other people in your family.
6. Use a VPN for Optimal Connectivity
Even though you’re connected on a private network, there’s no one that states that you can’t have fun while connected.
One of the ways that you can improve your connectivity and gain access to limited websites is through a VPN.
Using a VPN changes your account as it can hide you from your provider’s monitoring products.
Doing this ensures your security and privacy even if you’re connected to a public network.
Here’s how to use a VPN for optimal connectivity:
- Get your VPNs app on your phone.
- Open the app and log in with your credentials.
- Pick a server from the list.
- Verify that your device is connected to the internet.
VPN: If you're looking for a reliable VPN that you can use on public networks like the ones at school, you need to check out AtlasVPN.
These are the things you need to do to make sure that you can connect your phone to your school’s WiFi.
As long as you follow these steps, you will be able to connect to your school’s WiFi in under 10 minutes.
Bottom Line
Now that you know how to get school WiFi on your phone, you can decide whether you want to use it or not.
There are going to be restrictions since school WiFis is intimidating to begin with.
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Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites. Check out more about him here.