Students complaining about Wofford’s technological services are at an all-time high, especially with this year’s ban on personal Wi-Fi routers.

It’s no secret, Wofford’s Wi-Fi internet, Air Terrier, has always had its issues: random log-outs, connectivity breaks and ‘unable to join Terrier’ pop-ups are all too familiar for Wofford students. In previous years, students have been able to have semi-reliable Wi-Fi connection by setting up their own personal routers in their rooms, which were often shared between roommates and suite-mates. Students without personal routers could use ‘Terrier’ or a direct connection using an ethernet cable with moderate success. But even with the direct line, connectivity is still liable to be lost at any moment. This year, however, Wofford’s IT department has banned the use of personal routers, saying the routers take away from Terrier Wi-Fi’s bandwidth, thus slowing down the system for everyone. Last year, a student could pull up 20 different personal Wi-Fi connections in any dorm; this year, you’re lucky to find more than five personal Wi-Fi hot spots, as the IT department has made it (almost) impossible to set up a personal router. Junior Mac Young says, “For some reason, the system can’t block Apple routers. That’s the only way I’ve seen people with their own Wi-Fi.”

Not everyone is complaining however.

“I haven’t had any problem with the Wi-Fi but I feel like I’m the only one,” says freshman Matt Allen as he laughs.

You would think that by losing so many per- sonal routers, connectivity would be more reli- able and faster than ever, but junior Tyler Nelson thinks differently.

“Terrier [Wi-Fi] was much better last year than it is this year. Last year it would randomly quit working about once an hour, but this year, it takes forever to log on, it logs you out more frequently and actually connecting to it is a challenge in itself.”

Many students say it never seems to work when you need it most. With the demands of Wofford academics, students don’t have time to worry or deal with all the stresses of Wofford’s technological shortcomings.

For some reason, Wi-Fi issues seem to be a Wofford-only problem. Young, who spent his first three semesters at Wheaton College in Boston, M.A., says he never had any problems with Internet there.

“Nobody had personal routers. They didn’t need them. The school’s Wi-Fi worked great,” he says.

Senior Brodie Woodson, who transferred from the University of South Carolina, says the same about the Gamecock’s Internet.

“Wi-Fi was great. It was very fast and you could stay connected all over campus.”

So the question is, what’s up with Wofford’s?

— David Wheatley