Central Piedmont Wireless Network

Central Piedmont offers wireless network access to all faculty, staff, students, and visitors.

Wireless Network Requirements

To connect to the wireless network while on campus, you will need:

  1. A wireless device that is compatible with WiFi networks (802.11ac, 802.11g or 802.11n) and is also compatible with the 802.1x protocol (most modern devices are compatible).
  2. A valid Central Piedmont username and password or guest authorization code.

Connect to the Central Piedmont Network While Off Campus

Faculty and staff can use the Central Piedmont Cloud to securely connect to the Central Piedmont network remotely to access some departmental resources online. SharePoint, Google Apps, email, and Jabber-based phone services are all available via the wireless network. Some sensitive network resources are not available off the Central Piedmont network for security reasons.

Available On-Campus Wireless Networks

There are three wireless networks available at all Central Piedmont campuses.

  • CPCC

    The "CPCC" network is for Central Piedmont employees. You must have valid employee credentials to connect.

  • CPCCStudent

    The "CPCCStudent" network is for current Central Piedmont students. You must have valid Central Piedmont student credentials to connect.

  • CPCCguest

    The "CPCCguest" network is for first-time enrolling students, one-time guests, and infrequent visitors. This network features a self-service portal to provide visitors a method to create their own accounts instantly. These sessions are temporary and have limited resources available to them.

    If you are a visitor or renting space at one of our campuses and were provided with a guest network account, please use the "CPCCStudent" network.

How to Connect to the Central Network While on Campus

  • Employees: How to Connect to the "CPCC" Network
    1. Select the “CPCC” network in your device’s WiFi connection settings.
    2. When prompted for username and password, enter your employee credentials.
      1. If you are on an Android phone or tablet or a Chromebook, you will be prompted with additional configuration settings:

        1. EAP Method: PEAP
        2. Phase 2 Authentication: MSCHAPV2
        3. CA Certificate: Use System Certificates
        4. Domain: CPCC.edu
        5. Anonymous Identity: leave blank
    3. After entering your credentials, you may receive a prompt about a trust certificate. Select the “join” or “connect” option on this prompt (the specific wording of this prompt can vary depending on your device).

  • Students: How to Connect to the "CPCCStudent" Network
    1. Select the “CPCCStudent” network in your device’s WiFi connection settings.
    2. When prompted for username and password, enter your Central Piedmont student credentials.
      1. If you are on an Android phone or tablet or a Chromebook, you will be prompted with additional configuration settings:

        1. EAP Method: PEAP
        2. Phase 2 Authentication: MSCHAPV2
        3. CA Certificate: do not check
        4. Anonymous Identity: leave blank
    3. After entering your credentials, you may receive a prompt about a trust certificate. Select the “join” or “connect” option on this prompt (the specific wording of this prompt can vary depending on your device).

  • Guests: How to Connect to the "CPCCguest" Network

    The guest network has limited access to Central Piedmont network resources and internet destinations.

    1. Select the “CPCCguest” network in your device’s WiFi connection settings.
    2. Once your device connects, you will be automatically taken to a web page.
      1. Some devices may not open this page automatically.
      2. If a page does not open automatically, simply open a web browser and load a website. You should then be redirected automatically.
    3. On this webpage, enter your cell phone number and click the continue button.
    4. You will be taken to a page prompting you for an authorization code. You will receive this code via text message (SMS) to the phone number you entered on the previous page.
    5. Enter the authorization code and click the "Sign-in" button to finish connecting to the "CPCCguest" network.

    Your access will be limited to one session per guest authorization code. If your device disconnects from the "CPCCguest" network, you will need to go through the connection process again.

  • Wireless Printing

    Wireless printing is provided through our PrintAnywhere system. PrintAnywhere allows you to upload documents from a personal device to our print servers and then to release the print job from any Central Piedmont-managed printer.

Troubleshooting Your Wireless Connection on Campus

After any device has a software update, it can sometimes cause compatibility issues between our networking equipment and your device. If you experience issues with your device's wireless connection, please try the following common troubleshooting steps to see if it resolves your issue.

  • Common Wireless Connection Troubleshooting Steps
    • Reboot your device.
    • Turn on airplane mode and wait a few seconds before you turn airplane mode off. Toggling airplane mode can refresh your wireless connections and resolve issues you may be experiencing.
    • Turn off WiFi on your device and wait a few seconds then turn it back on. This will restart the software on your device that handles network connections.
    • Go into your wireless settings, select the wireless network, and select the “Forget this network” option. Then reconnect to the network. In some cases after software updates, the configuration for connecting may need to be updated.
    • If you have recently changed the password for your Central Piedmont login, make sure the wireless configuration is using your current password.

    If you continue to experience issues after trying these methods, contact the Service Desk. When contacting the Service Desk, have ready the device type, operating system type and version number, and action you were trying to carry out.

The Latest at Central Piedmont