Unsupported Devices

This guide is intended to help Stanford students make purchasing decisions based on devices likely incompatible with our offered services.

In this document:

Stanford Network (definition)

Technical Information

Supported Protocols and Devices

Unsupported Protocols

Unsupported Devices

Get Help

Stanford Network (definition)

The Stanford network is an Enterprise-grade network in both the residences and on campus. While most traditional platforms and devices are supported and can connect to the network with minimal effort, some types of consumer devices are not designed or intended to be compatible with an Enterprise-grade network.  This guide is intended to help Stanford students make purchasing decisions based on devices likely incompatible with our offered services.

Technical Information about the Stanford Networks:

The wired and wireless networks at Stanford are separate, independent networks by design. For example, should the entire wireless network go out, the entire wired network is unaffected, and vice versa.  This is great for 100% redundancy at a high-profile research institution, but not so great for a consumer devices that require that wired and wireless devices are on the same network to work properly.

The Stanford wireless network ("Stanford", "Stanford Residences", "Stanford Secure") is a dual-band (2.4Ghz, 5Ghz) network. The wireless network supports 802.11 a,g, and n wireless protocols. Earlier wifi protocols (e.g., 802.11b) are not supported.

Supported Protocols and Devices

The Stanford network and related support staff can reliably accept and support devices running Windows Vista and up (Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10), Mac OS X 10.7 and up, Linux, iOS, and Android operating systems.  This accounts for 90% of traditional devices.  

Unsupported Protocols

We monitor successful and unsuccessful attempts to bring devices onto the Stanford network including those designed and intended for use in single-family homes using consumer network routers including “Internet of Things” and “Smart devices” whose engineering does not account for the unique characteristics of an Enterprise network. Here are the few protocols we know will not work on the Stanford network:

 802.11b

Some older wireless devices may only run on the 802.11b wifi standard. The Stanford wireless network only supports 802.11 a, g, and n.

WEP/WPA/WPA2 login

Some devices require you to enter the SSID name and passcode into the app or device during configuration.  As the Stanford network does not require a login to get on the network, apps that maintain this requirement are currently incompatible with the Stanford networks.

Unsupported Devices

As non-traditional and "smart" devices become commonplace at the consumer level, some devices’ engineering does not account for the unique characteristics of an Enterprise network. The following list contains devices determined as incompatible with the Stanford (wired/wireless) network and thus, after many diligent hours of troubleshooting, are considered as "unsupported". In some cases, these devices may be used in other ways, such as connecting devices with a USB cable or Bluetooth, or a wired ethernet connection.  Residents considering either of these devices should consult with support staff prior to their deployment onto the Stanford network.

*Note that this is an ever-changing list as issues come to our attention. Please contact us for any devices not on this list and we will look into it!*  

Get Help

In person support

Students who live in on-campus Undergrad residences can seek in-person assistance from their Resident Computer Consultant (RCC), a member of house staff that resides within the residence.

Students who live in Graduate residences or off-campus can seek assistance from the Peer Technology Specialist team, available with or without an appointment at the Lathrop Tech Desk.  To make an appointment, visit studenttechnology.stanford.edu  and click the Request Help button.

Online support

All Stanford students can request support online and/or arrange an appointment with their respective support team. Visit studenttechnology.stanford.edu and click the Request Help button.