After your device (laptop, tablet, smart phone) has been initially set up to connect to an eduroam network (normally your home organisation's own eduroam network) it should connect to any eduroam network at any site, providing you with network access at a huge number of locations. Occasionally you may need to change some of the configuration settings, particularly the password stored in the eduroam profile on your device if your network access password changes. Access to eduroam networks will expire when your home institution network access account expires and you must remove the eduroam profile from your device.

Nb. Never disclose or temporarily lend your eduroam access credentials, since not only is this in breach of acceptable use policy, but you could be help responsbile for illegal activities carried out using your credentials and moreover your network credentials serve as your digital ID, giving access to e-mail systems and filestores.

If you are new to eduroam and are planning to use your own laptop you'll need to set up an eduroam Wi-Fi profile. Many organisations have automated systems to faciliate this - launched from your organisation's eduroam service information web page. Otherwise setup help will be available on that page and then you should run through our eduroam user checklist:

• First time eduroam user checklist

Regular eduroam user? - does the organisation you are visiting belong to eduroam? And does it offer a live Visited service?

• Check Where you can use eduroam maps or the simple Home/Visited organisations listing or eduroam site finder for downloadable detailed service information sites matrix

Are you planning to use a hardwired guest workstation at the visited site? If so you'll simply be able to use your eduroam username and password at designated workstations.

• Check to see if hardwired service is available on the eduroam site finder

If using your own device/laptop, although many devices now automatically select the best settings, in your device's eduroam profile you may now need to match your Wi-Fi association and encryption settings to those of the WLAN at the organisation you are visiting (WPA2/AES will work at all UK sites now). You may also need to select automatic allocation of IP address and DNS server address using DHCP if this is not already configured.

• Check to find out Wi-Fi settings required at visited organisation (some non-UK sites still only support WPA/TKIP). See the visited organisation's eduroam information page - there are links on Where you can use eduroam maps pages and in the eduroam site finder.
• How to configure your Wi-Fi encryption settings. See your home organisation's eduroam information page. Supplicant software varies, but for generic guidance see: Windows XP built-in 802.1X supplicant configuration.

You are now ready to go. Once on-site simply identify an area in which eduroam is available and connect via the eduroam SSID - enter user name and password as prompted for user authentication (leave domain field blank). Some supplicants cache user name and password so connection and authentication will be automatic.