CaltechAirpass Wireless
CaltechAirpass is a guest network for AT&T and T-Mobile phones. Your phone connects automatically using the information on your SIM card, so there is no password and no sign-in page.
Features
- Connects automatically in covered areas
- General web access, with some traffic types blocked
- Download speed is limited to 10 Mbps
- Free
| Who can use it | Cost |
|---|---|
| Customers of AT&T (including Cricket Wireless and FirstNet) and T-Mobile with a supported phone and plan. No Caltech account is needed. | Free |
How to Connect
- Turn on Wi-Fi on your phone.
- Come within range of a Caltech building.
- Your phone connects on its own. You do not need to enter anything.
Your phone may list the network under a different name, such as AT&T AirPass. That is normal. Whether your phone supports this kind of connection depends on your carrier, your phone model, and your plan.
What works on CaltechAirpass
CaltechAirpass is for everyday phone use. Some kinds of traffic are blocked to keep the network safe and available for everyone.
| What you want to do | Available |
|---|---|
| Browse the web and use most apps | Yes |
| Video calls with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Webex | Yes |
| FaceTime, iMessage, and push notifications on iPhone | Yes |
| Wi-Fi calling through AT&T or T-Mobile | Yes |
| Email apps that connect to outside mail providers | Yes |
| SSL VPN, and IPsec VPN to destinations outside Caltech | Yes |
| Email apps connecting to mail servers on the Caltech campus network | No |
| Other VPN types | No |
| Custom DNS servers | No |
| AirPlay, Chromecast, and screen mirroring to Caltech devices | No |
| Printing to Caltech printers | No |
| Ping and traceroute | No |
| Sites and services that only work over IPv6 | No |
To cast or AirPlay to supported Caltech displays and media devices, or to use SSH to a server outside Caltech, connect to Caltech Visitor instead.
If your phone doesn't connect
CaltechAirpass is only offered on the 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands, so a phone that only uses 2.4 GHz will not see it. The network can also disappear for a while if the access points in an area lose their internet connection. Try Caltech Visitor instead.
FirstNet phones do not connect automatically the first time. Open your Wi-Fi settings and select CaltechAirpass once. After that, your phone reconnects on its own whenever the network is in range.
These phones may not connect automatically. If yours does not, use Caltech Visitor instead.
CaltechAirpass works only with AT&T and T-Mobile SIM cards. Use Caltech Visitor instead.
Your carrier controls whether your phone has the settings this network needs. If it does not connect, use Caltech Visitor.
Need help?
If you still cannot connect, contact the IMSS Help Desk
Online: ServiceNow
Phone: 626.395.3500
Email: [email protected]
Remote Help: TeamViewer
In-Person: 367 S. Holliston Avenue
Room 204 (Bldg. 85)
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8AM - 5PM
You can also try the Wireless Troubleshooting page.