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eduroam

Merit Initiative

What is eduroam?

eduroam (education roaming) is the secure, world-wide roaming access service developed for the international research and education community.

eduroam allows students, researchers and staff from participating institutions to obtain Internet connectivity across campus and when visiting other participating institutions by simply opening their laptop.

Click here for an interactive map of U.S. locations where you can eduroam.

eduroam country map for 2025

Where can I eduroam?

eduroam has gained momentum throughout the research and education community and is now available in over 100 territories. eduroam is available in thousands of locations across over 100 countries worldwide, from campuses to coffee shops. eduroam provides authenticated network access at any location where the service is enabled.

Each participating organization offering network access to authenticated users is able to apply its own filtering policies as long as it is clearly informing users about the filtering rules.


Is it safe?

eduroam is based on the most secure encryption and authentication standards in existence today. Its security by far exceeds typical commercial hotspots.

eduroam requires the use of 802.1x which provides end-to-end encryption to ensure that your private user credentials are only available to your home institution. The certificate of your home institution is the only point you need to trust regardless of who operates any intermediate infrastructure.

Be aware though that when using the general Internet at an eduroam hotspot, the local site security measures at that hotspot will apply to you as well. For example, the firewall settings at the visited place may be different from those you are used to at home, and as a guest you may have access to fewer services on the Internet than you have at home.


How does eduroam work?

eduroam allows any user from an eduroam participating site to get network access at any institution connected to eduroam. Depending on local policies at the visited institutions, eduroam participants may also have additional resources at their disposal.

The user credentials are kept secure because eduroam does not share them with the site you’re visiting. Instead they are forwarded to the user’s home institution, where they can be verified and validated.

The system uses a network of servers run by the institutions, and the participating National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) to securely route these requests back to your home institute. All this happens seamlessly and virtually instantly – all thanks to eduroam.


 

Merit Network eduroam Acceptable Use Policy

This Merit Network eduroam Acceptable Use Policy (“Acceptable Use Policy”) sets forth legally binding terms that govern use of the Merit Network eduroam service within the United States. The eduroam service may only be used for legal purposes by users in accordance with the terms of this Acceptable Use Policy. At Merit Network’s sole discretion, the Acceptable Use Policy may be revised from time to time.


Use of the Service

By using the eduroam service, you indicate that any information you provide is true, accurate, current, and complete. Further, you agree to use the eduroam service in a lawful manner and shall not:

  • Encourage any illegal, abusive or similar activities that interfere with the business of Merit Network or any other party.
  • Attempt to bypass or break any security mechanism or component of the eduroam service. • Use the eduroam service in a manner that poses a security or service risk to Merit Network or any of its users.
  • Test, decompile, or reverse-engineer the eduroam service or any equipment or services related to the eduroam service for any reason.
  • Use the eduroam service in a manner that subjects Merit Network or any third party to liability or damages.
  • Launch or facilitate, whether intentionally or unintentionally, a denial of service attack on the eduroam service or any component of the eduroam service, or engage in any other conduct that adversely impacts the availability, reliability, or stability of the eduroam service.
  • Transmit any material that contains viruses, trojan horses, worms, or any other malicious, harmful, or deleterious programs.
  • Use the eduroam service in a manner that violates any policy that Merit Network provided or made available to your organization.
  • Engage in any unsolicited advertising, marketing, or other similar activities.
  • Use the eduroam service to harvest or otherwise collect information about others, including email addresses or phone numbers.
  • Use the eduroam service to engage in or in connection with fraudulent activity.
  • Violate or facilitate the violation of any local, state, federal, or foreign law or regulation, including laws and regulations regarding the transmission of data or software.
  • Take any action to participate in, encourage, or promote any activity prohibited under this Acceptable Use Policy or any other agreement to which you are bound in connection with use of the eduroam service.
  • Transmit any material that infringes the intellectual property rights or other rights of third parties.
  • Remove, obscure, or alter any notice of copyright, trademark, or other proprietary right appearing in or on any component of the eduroam service. eduroam AUP (4/2018)
  • Transmit any material that is libelous, defamatory, discriminatory, or otherwise malicious or harmful to any person or entity.
  • Create a false identity or otherwise attempt to mislead others as to the identity of the sender or the origin of a message.
  • Use the eduroam service, or any component of the eduroam service, in any manner that violates any applicable international or domestic law.


Compliance

Violation of this Acceptable Use Policy may result in a restriction or revocation of your rights with respect to the usage of the eduroam service. Merit Network reserves all rights and remedies that may be available in accordance with applicable laws or otherwise.