Guest Internet Access FAQs
No, this is a free service. Costs are not passed to you or your insurance company. You must, however, provide your own wireless device and wireless connectivity. No. This service is free. We do not charge you for this, nor is the cost passed on to your insurance company. At Nationwide Children’s Hospital we have two options for wireless Internet access. You may use your own device or you can borrow one via Family Volunteer Services program. In both cases you will need a wireless device and wireless connectivity.
Users need not worry about the wireless connection affecting hospital equipment, because the low power emissions have been proven to not interfere with sensitive medical equipment.
- Wireless device: You must provide your own laptop computer or PDA. Most PCs, Pocket PCs and Macintosh computers should work, if they are properly configured and have an appropriate wireless network card.
- Wireless card: You must provide your own wireless network card. Some new devices have the wireless card built in -- otherwise, it will probably be inserted into a slot on the side of the laptop or the top of the PDA. Most wireless cards are standardized and can be purchased online or from a retail electronics store. Nationwide Children’s Hospital cannot install the wireless card.
- Supported wireless formats: Your network card must support either 802.11b or 802.11g frequencies. The Nationwide Children’s Hospital wireless network does not support other industry standards.
- Browser: Your hardware must use a standard Internet browser such as Internet Explorer, America Online or Netscape.
Wireless networks are shared among all users and are public. All public networks lack the high level of security you might be accustomed to at work and home. We encourage you to be careful when sending personally identifiable or sensitive information. If the web sites you visit support the industry standard SSL encryption, our network connection to that site is as secure as if you were on a standard wired network.
Protect Yourself!Anytime you are connected to the Internet, you are prone to security risks. Your use of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital wireless Internet connection is at your own risk. As with most public wireless hot spots, the hospital’s wireless connection is not secure. There can be non-trustworthy third parties between the user and anybody with whom the user communicates. Any information being sent or received could potentially be intercepted by another wireless user. Cautious and informed wireless users should not transmit their credit card information, passwords and any other sensitive personal information while using any wireless “hot spot.” Following the tips below will help you minimize some of the security risks.
- Be cautious when filling in personal information (name, Social Security Number, credit card info, etc.) on websites. Your identity can be easily stolen over the Internet if the website does not have built-in security for you. Always check for the padlock symbol at the bottom of your browser that indicates secure sites.
- Do not download files from the Internet unless you are certain that the files are from a safe source.
- Do not open email attachments from email addresses that you do not know. Even if you do know them, make sure the attachment is safe before opening it.
- Install virus protection software and keep it up to date. Insure that your device has the latest security updates from the vendor (i.e. Microsoft).
Unfortunately, it is not possible to print from our public wireless network. The best option is to e-mail the page's URL (web address) to your email address and print it either at the Family Resource Center or when you return home.
Wireless network access is available throughout the hospital, including the patient rooms, main lobby and cafeteria.
You will be able to access any resources on the Internet. Nationwide Children’s Hospital does block certain sites deemed to be inappropriate to hospital standards. Our hospital is very busy, and people are often walking around in public areas. We appreciate your consideration in only visiting appropriate websites while on our network.
No, you cannot use the hospital “wired” network. Only wireless access is available.
Yes, please contact Family Volunteer Services and there are several kiosks available throughout the hospital that can be used by patients and guests who do not have laptops of their own.
No. It is recommended you have this protection before using any Internet service.
Wireless networks are ‘shared’ among all users and, by that very nature, are public. All public networks lack the high level of security you may be accustomed to at work and home. We encourage you to be careful when sending personally identifiable or sensitive information. However, if the web sites you visit support the industry standard SSL encryption, and most do, our network connection to that site is as secure as if you were on a standard wired network.
If your company has implemented a VPN (virtual private network), and you can access it from home, you can probably connect to it from here. There are some cases where authentication is not permitted – in these cases you should contact your company’s I.S. department to see if changes to your VPN settings are necessary.
This is most likely a configuration issue. There are multiple ways to configure a wireless connection, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital may do it differently than the way yours is currently set up.
You are probably set up to use a proxy server. In Internet Explorer, click on Tools, then Internet Options, then Connections, then LAN Settings. Make sure the "Use a proxy server…" option is unchecked. If you change it, remember to recheck it when you leave.
Privacy and liability issues prevent us from working on your computer. This service is offered “as is,” and there are no guarantees to performance or the ability to connect to the wireless network. We recommend contacting your appropriate support area or help desk of the computer/card manufacturer for assistance.