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How to Update Your Saved Wi-Fi Network to PittNet or Pitt Guest
Quick Reference: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Pitt Digital has renamed the University's Wi-Fi networks as part of an ongoing upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) infrastructure. The legacy network names WIRELESS-PITTNET and PITT GUEST WI-FI are being replaced by PittNet and Pitt Guest. Devices that still have the old network saved may show connection errors, repeated password prompts, or a "limited connectivity" message. Removing the old saved network and connecting fresh to the new one resolves this. Find your device type below.
Updated Network Names
Legacy Name vs. Current Wi-Fi 6 Name
| Network Use |
Legacy Name (Retiring) |
Current Name |
| Students, faculty, and staff (secure) |
WIRELESS-PITTNET |
PittNet |
| Guests and visitors (open, no login) |
PITT GUEST WI-FI |
Pitt Guest |
Eduroam and MyResNet network names are not affected by this change. Gaming consoles and streaming devices such as Apple TV connect to a separate registered network and are also unaffected — see the Related Articles section below.
About Certificate Prompts
Pitt Digital periodically renews the security certificate used to authenticate PittNet Wi-Fi and PittNet VPN (GlobalProtect) connections. If you are prompted to trust, accept, or continue when connecting to PittNet after removing the old network, this is expected — select the option to trust or accept the certificate to finish connecting. If certificate prompts continue to reappear after you accept them, see the Troubleshooting section below.
Windows 10 and Windows 11
- Select the Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar.
- Select Manage known networks.
- Select WIRELESS-PITTNET (or PITT GUEST WI-FI), then select Forget.
- Select the Wi-Fi icon again, choose PittNet (or Pitt Guest), and select Connect.
- Enter your University Computing Account username and password, and select Connect or Trust if prompted about a certificate.
macOS
- Open the Apple menu and select System Settings > Wi-Fi.
- Select Manage Networks (or Advanced) to view saved networks.
- Select WIRELESS-PITTNET (or PITT GUEST WI-FI), then select the minus (−) button to remove it.
- Close Settings, select the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar, and choose PittNet (or Pitt Guest).
- Enter your University Computing Account username and password, and select Trust if asked about a certificate.
macOS: Still Being Prompted After Reconnecting?
Remove any leftover saved certificate entries:
- Open Keychain Access (Finder → Applications → Utilities).
- Select the login keychain and search for ias.cssd.pitt.edu.
- Select and delete any matching entries, entering your password to confirm if prompted.
- Reconnect to PittNet Wi-Fi and enter your credentials again.
Linux (Ubuntu, Fedora, and other GNOME desktops)
- Open Settings > Wi-Fi.
- Select WIRELESS-PITTNET (or PITT GUEST WI-FI) from the network list and choose Forget Connection.
- Select PittNet (or Pitt Guest) from the network list.
- When prompted, choose WPA2/WPA3 Enterprise with method PEAP and Phase 2 authentication MSCHAPv2.
- Enter your University Computing Account username and password.
Troubleshooting Connection Issues After Switching Networks
Connected, but no internet access
Your device may be holding onto an old, stale IP address lease from the previous network. Pitt Digital's network address services (DNS and DHCP, managed through Pitt's BlueCat IP address management platform) will issue a new address automatically, but you can speed this up:
- Windows: open Command Prompt and run
ipconfig /release followed by ipconfig /renew, then ipconfig /flushdns.
- macOS: turn Wi-Fi off and back on, or restart the device, to request a new address and clear the DNS cache.
- Linux: run
sudo dhclient -r followed by sudo dhclient for your wireless interface, or reconnect the network profile from the GUI.
GlobalProtect VPN drops or won't reconnect
If you use PittNet VPN (GlobalProtect) to reach restricted University resources, disconnect and reconnect GlobalProtect after you finish switching Wi-Fi networks. Changing networks can interrupt the session Pitt's firewall (Palo Alto GlobalProtect gateway) is tracking, including the periodic device compliance (HIP) check. A manual disconnect and reconnect refreshes the session. If GlobalProtect still won't connect after this, see Getting, Setting Up, and Connecting With PittNet VPN (GlobalProtect) on Windows or macOS.
Repeated certificate or password prompts
- Confirm you selected PittNet or Pitt Guest and not a similarly named neighboring or personal hotspot network.
- Confirm your University Computing Account password is current; a recent password change requires re-entering credentials on every saved device.
- If the network was removed and re-added more than once, restart the device before trying again.
Related Articles
For Help Desk Staff — Internal Use
Standard Tier 1 resolution is removing the legacy SSID and reconnecting to the current name, as documented above. Escalate to the Pitt Digital Network Operations Center (NOC) when a user has followed all steps above and still cannot connect, or when the issue appears to affect multiple users in the same building.
TDX Ticket Routing
| Field |
Value |
| Service |
PittNet |
| Responsibility |
OPS General |
Include in the ticket: the SSID the device attempted to connect to, the operating system and version, whether the issue reproduces on a wired connection, and steps already taken. If DNS/DHCP address assignment is suspected (device connects but has no network access after a lease renewal), note this for the NOC so BlueCat lease records can be checked. If a GlobalProtect/Palo Alto HIP check failure is suspected, note the approximate time of disconnect for firewall log correlation.
Owner: Pitt Digital, Network Engineering | Audience: Students, faculty, staff, and visitors | Last updated: July 30, 2026