Networking & Wireless | News

Tennessee Wesleyan College Extends Connectivity on Campus

• By Bridget McCrea
• 09/28/11

Tennessee Wesleyan College has rolled out a new, high-performance converged mobile network that will give students, faculty, and staff access to secure, reliable wired and wireless Internet access.

Intent on creating a 21st Century educational experience for students, the college implemented the network in answer to the growing need for consistent, simplified, and secure Internet access on campus. The new setup will offer better performance than its predecessor, and it will support both data and high-resolution video on the same network.

Located in Athens, TN, the institution joins Cambridge, University of Miami, University of California at Berkeley, and Texas A&M--all of which are using Extreme Networks, Inc.'s campus networks. In all, more than 700 colleges and universities are currently using open network solutions developed by the Santa Clara, CA-based firm.

Tennessee Wesleyan's IT team is currently working with the vendor to upgrade wired and wireless connectivity across its entire campus, from student dorms and commons, to classrooms and libraries.

"Wired and wireless network mobility is the paramount concern for our students," said Joe Passmore, director of campus information technology, "as they work during class hours and enjoy their devices with their free time."

Tennessee Wesleyan's new network will be made up of Extreme Networks' Summit fixed switching solutions, wall plate access points, and an overlay Wireless LAN mobility solution that features 802.11n technology.

Tennessee Wesleyan's converged mobile network will also allow the institution to expand WLAN 802.11n access into remote campus areas that have historically been difficult to equip with wireless access. “The access point holds great potential for further expanding our network,” Passmore said.