Some colleges rejecting iPad due to network, security concerns

Some US universities are rejecting the iPad from their campus networks due to connection and security issues. The Wall Street Journal reports that both George Washington University and Princeton University have disallowed usage of the iPad due to security issues. GWU said its wireless network’s security features don’t allow the iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch to connect to its network, while Princeton said it has proactively blocked about 20% of the devices after noticing malfunctions that could cause problems for the entire system. In addition, Cornell University has reportedly seen connectivity issues and is also worried about heavy bandwidth usage. Cornell’s information technology director, Steve Schuster, told the WSJ that the school is “working to ensure the iPad does not have devastating consequences to our network,” adding that when the iPhone arrived on campus it overwhelmed the network’s bandwidth capabilities. Despite these challenges, at least two schools — Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania and George Fox University in Oregon — plan on giving every incoming student either an iPad and a MacBook or a choice between the two when they arrive on the campuses this fall.