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Feature Suggestion: Formalized Eduroam Support.

(Topic created on: 10-10-2019 10:56 PM)
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SjorsK
Maestro
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Hi there!

 

It would be really nice to have a formalized eduroam support for the Galaxy Devices. Currently connecting to eduroam is at this moment too troublesome for end users which is strange considering how wide eduroam has been adopted in recent years. Basically people have to manually enter the authentication methods, certificate validation etc. when connecting (Depending on the phone) which is simply said quite troublesome for the average end user. The situation has resulted into educational institutions writing manuals (Which basically uses the phone of the employee in case to write the manual. Which means that the “Android” manual could be one of a Chinese branded phone which works different than a Galaxy Smartphone).  

 

The issue is currently bad enough for institutions to develop a tool named Eduroam CAT (Configuration Assistance Tool):
https://cat.eduroam.org/

 

What is eduroam: Eduroam is an international WiFi Roaming network for educational and research institutions.

https://www.eduroam.org/about/

 

Scope of impact: Any Samsung Galaxy user that works or studies at an organization connected to the eduroam network. Including people with Eduroam Vicitor Access. 

 

See actual scope here:
https://www.eduroam.org/where/

 

Full disclosure:
I do work for an educational institution and used to work for the support desk – As a result I have seen many frustrated users that couldn’t connect to eduroam from themselves from different countries and different institutions. Even though I work for such an organization I am not paid to write this feature request and do so because I believe that it will assist Galaxy Users and will reduce the support overhead for educational institutions with Samsung Galaxy Devices. Implementing this change will most likely reduce the amount of employees required in the sector where I work so you could probably say that it will impact myself negatively (Even though they would thank me if my feature suggestion would result into formalised support for eduroam) 😉

 

6 REPLIES 6
RpBP
Mastermind
Options

I don't know sir, but I think to use a oficial CERT and to use it's not dificult, similar to a computer, if thoses person have not access to the service in a determinate country will be problems of logistics and no of a telephone. You will need to speak with admis of that service to be agree about minimum requeriments and if someone can get info from the server or to use common contents from a determinate country.

 

Maybe the university service is somewhat closed to external access or not prepare to actuate :thumbs-up-sign-emoji-modifier-fitzpatrick-type:

 

Please to meet you and bye :four-leaf-clover:

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SjorsK
Maestro
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Actually most educational organizations I know of use a certificate that is signed using the chain of trust from a "trusted" certificate provider instead of using a self signed certificate (There are of course exceptions but that wouldn't be smart for obvious reasons). The chain of trust has nothing to do with logistics or a specefic country but is related to if device makers/browsers tend to trust the organization that gives out a specefic certificate. There are also device makers that simply trust none (Apple is a nice example of that. You have to manually install a certificate on that device beforehand before you can verify it when connecting using EAP.

The CAT tool is effectively created because of devices lacking proper support, more than thousend institutions have bothered themselves to configure it for their organizations. Lets be honest here, if it did work properly nobody would care to create, implement or use a tool like that :winking-face: To implement eduroam external access is required because the whole idea of eduroam is to share secure WiFi with the educational and research community :smiling-face:

Here is a youtube video from 2014, its surprisingly still mainly up to date (Well, systems are slightly more modern now and there is android support :winking-face: ).

Formalised support from device manifucturers would be much better and and I'm quite sure that the all students will appreciate it :smiling-face: (Well, as long they have access to eduroam, but most students in the western world have.)

RpBP
Mastermind
Options

Of couse, if the CER has limitations of use (Logistics problems 😃 ) then you do not will be able to use, as Apple or Bank or Goberments or me.....

 

The exported keys need to have a requeriments and format, user need to be sure to know it.

 

In the university I used Moodle as Plataform and intranets, active directory and little more :thumbs-up-sign-emoji-modifier-fitzpatrick-type:

 

But your have all the reason sir, may be more extended and standard than actual method and opinion division :thumbs-up-sign-emoji-modifier-fitzpatrick-type:

 

I'm sure that you have not problems because you are a clever Samsung colleage :smiling-face:

 

:kiss::kiss: [to my friend @SjorsK ] and I agree in all that he say because he know the real problem between the rest of university colleages :four-leaf-clover:

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RpBP
Mastermind
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Sorry also the containers and the mode who server use the cert to actuate :face-with-rolling-eyes:

 

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SjorsK
Maestro
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Actually I care more about the students and the added value that this feature would give to millions of users, if the issue is only at one university I wouldn't have bothered to make a formalized feature request, but eduroam is currently widespread enough to be worth the effort for Samsung :smiling-face: In fact, I believe that it might even increase mouth to mouth advertisement between the students and if its implemented properly it would definitely move educational institutes to a brand that properly supports it. 

If the education community could solve it themselves I would expect that they would have done so already (Just look at the amount of service requests they get :winking-face: ). The issue is unfortunately at the side of the device manufacturers (And not only Samsung :winking-face: ).

RpBP
Mastermind
Options

I desingned an exposed a new feature for Documents and treatements governemental but was stolen for Apple as you must know from inside SU Program Portal :thumbs-up-sign-emoji-modifier-fitzpatrick-type: Let to me arrive :winking-face:

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