Register and connect a WiFi device with assigned password (e.g., smart appliance, gaming console)


 

OVERVIEW

Target audience: Entire McGill community.  

By default, McGill's Wireless Network only allows devices that support Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2) Enterprise protocol, including smartphones, laptops, and tablets. To connect these devices, you can simply choose wpa.mcgill.ca and enter your McGill username and password to connect.

However, suppose you need to connect a non-WPA2 Enterprise device (that does not support your McGill username and password). In that case, you can use the My WiFi Device service (formerly GPass) to "register" your device to be recognized and permitted to connect to McGill's wireless network.

My WiFi Device uses the WPA2-PSK protocol and supports the following non-WPA2 Enterprise devices: Smart TVs and other smart home media devices (Amazon Alexa), gaming consoles, temperature sensors, etc. NOTE: Google Chromecast cannot be supported at this time.

My WiFi Device is available in residences and campus buildings that have been upgraded via the Network Upgrade project. See the Network Upgrade status page for the buildings supporting My Wifi Device. 

Note that access to some McGill resources may be limited with this service.

In this article:

Register your device

  1. Go to https://mywifidevice.mcgill.ca, click Device Registration, and sign in with your McGill username and password. Note: You must be on campus to register your device.

     screenshot of My WiFi Device registration page

  2. In the New Device window, enter the following:
      • MAC Address: the unique address that identifies your device on the network and consists of 12 characters ranging from 0 to 9 and A to F.
      • Device Name: a descriptive name, such as "Nintendo console"
      • Terms of Use: review the terms and check the box to accept
      • <
    screenshot of New Device window
  3. Click Create Device
    You will see a registration confirmation and be provided with a unique password for each device to connect to the wireless network. Enter the password on the device itself. Otherwise, you may receive an error like "invalid password" when you attempt to connect to the wireless network.

    screenshot of new device receipt window

note

NOTE:

  • Students can register up to 4 devices; registrations are valid for one year from the registration date.
  • Staff and Faculty can register up to 10 devices; registrations expire after 3 months of inactivity on the network.

If you attempt to register more than the maximum allowable devices, you will receive the following error:

Error creating guest account


Connect your device

Once your device is registered, you can connect to the wireless network mywifidevice.mcgill.ca if you see it in your building's list of available WiFi networks. 

My WiFi Device is available in residences and campus buildings that have been upgraded via the Network Upgrade project. See the Network Upgrade status page for the buildings supporting My Wifi Device.


Manage your registered devices

Click Manage Devices to view a list of devices you have registered.

screenshot of Manage Devices window

Generating a new password

To generate a new password:

    1. Select the device you want to generate a new password for.
    2. Click Edit.
    3. In the Edit Device window, select Generate a new device Wi-Fi password.
    4. Click Update Device.

      screenshot of Edit Device window

Your new, randomly generated password will be displayed in the Current Password field. New passwords can be generated for all registered devices using this method but cannot be customized.

screenshot of Updated Device Details window

info

IMPORTANT:

  • Take note of the Wi-Fi password, as this is the only time it will be displayed.
  • Update the password on the device itself. Otherwise, you may receive an error like "invalid password" when you attempt to connect to the wireless network.
  • Connect to the Wi-Fi network mywifidevice.mcgill.ca

 

Removing or disabling a device

To remove or disable a registered device:

        1. Click on a device name, then select Remove.
        2. Select Disable account to disable your device temporarily (it can be re-activated) or Delete account to remove it entirely.
        3. Click Make changes

          screenshot of Remove Account window

      You should now see the message The device was successfully updated. You will also see the update in the Device Status field.

      Device Disabled

      Click the Refresh button at the bottom of the window to view the updated list of devices.

     


    Devices that will not work with this service

    • Google Home Devices
    • Phone or tablet control of Chromecast device (Chromecast with Google TV should work)
    • Wireless printers
    • mDNS devices