Loeb Gets WiFi — Sort of

Students living at Loeb Hall may have noticed another new improvement to the building besides a renovated lobby and lounge: wireless Internet access. The upgrade is currently undergoing a trial run, however, and is only available on the ground and basement floors.

The new feature at the East Village dorm is long overdue, according to many students. Residents previously had to use either an Ethernet cord, or a router via an Ethernet jack, in order to access Internet service. With the upgrade to Wi-Fi in the building’s lower two floors, the goal is that such accommodations will be unnecessary.

Robert Lutomski, director of student   housing, told The  Free  Press that a wireless   network was one  aspect of renovations to the dorm undertaken over the summer

“We saw an opportunity to incorporate wireless access in the plans while the building’s infrastructure was opened up,” Lutomski said. “The [initial] scope of the wireless project in Loeb Hall is to provide it to the common space on the lower level and first floor.”

To access Wi-Fi in Loeb, students must sign in with their Net ID username and password, the same way they do when logging onto The New School’s wireless network on campus.

The change was much anticipated by many students, especially since other New York City colleges such as Pace University and Hunter College already have wireless Internet access in all of their residence halls.

“Coming from Peru, and arriving to no Wi-Fi here, I was surprised,” said Parsons freshman and Loeb resident Anais Freitas. “We had Wi-Fi all over [my] campus back home. It’s such a relief that we have it now.”

Loeb remains the only New School residence hall with Wi-Fi, but the plan may eventually expand to other dorms as well.

“While the timing of this expansion has not been decided, we are looking at options now, weighing cost, efficiency and demand,” Lutomski said.