Additional Networking Resources
- By Linda L. Briggs
- 05/21/04
Upgrade and Expand Your Campus Wi-Fi Network
If you’re looking for some solid numbers on what others are doing, perhaps
to help make the case for upgrading or expanding your own campus wi-fi network,
the yearly Campus Computing Project is a perennial good source. This comprehensive
yearly study of the role of information technology at higher education institutions
in the U.S. is headed by founding director Kenneth Green, who is also a visiting
scholar at The Claremont Graduate University. The study is packed with useful
data on all kinds of technology.
The survey was begun in 1990 and is the largest continuing study of computing
and information technology in American higher education. The survey data comes
from responses provided by senior campus officials, typically a CIO, CTO, or
vice president for information technology. The 2003 survey is based on data
provided by campus officials representing 559 two- and four-year U.S. public
and private colleges and universities.
Read more: www.campuscomputing.net
Deploying Wireless Systems on Campus
Here’s a useful article that ran in PC Magazine in Fall 2003 on deploying
wireless systems on campus. The author talks with Carnegie Mellon University’s
Charles Bartel, a frequent source for Syllabus magazine as well, about the specifics
of deploying a campus wi-fi network. It’s part of a series on wireless
on campus that the magazine ran in the October 2003 issue. The article includes
specific recommendations on getting started on a wireless project on campus
(have someone technical on the staff take a class), as well as tips on how to
use technologies most effectively (overlap 802.11a and 802.11g for best access).
Read more:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1274315,00.asp
Understanding Wi-Fi
Confused about 802.11b versus g? What about 3G and WEP? SBC Communications,
one of the largest telecommunications providers, offers a basic primer (in PDF
format) on wireless terms and technologies.
Read more: http://www.sbc.com/Common/images/press_room/press_kit/Freedom_Link/Wi-Fi_Key_Terms_FINAL.pdf.
Boise State University Case Study on Authentication
Syllabus recently published a case study on how Boise State University went
wireless while continuing to handle authentication through the school’s
existing use of LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol). The article appeared
in the April 2004 issue of Syllabus.
Read more: http://www.syllabus.com/connectedcampus/article.asp?id=9202
Place That Modem at the Deck at Your Feet and Step Back Away from It
If you’re moving your campus from modem pools to a more up-to-date high-speed
network, wireless or otherwise, don’t miss Brian Voss’ article on
modems, "Place That Modem at the Deck at Your Feet and Step Back Away from
It"" from the April 2004 issue of Syllabus. Voss is the associate
vice president for telecommunications in the office of the vice president for
information technology & CIO at Indiana University. Voss also spoke with
Syllabus for this article.
Read more:
http://www.syllabus.com/article.asp?id=9196
Overcoming Wireless LAN Management Challenges
Wireless networks do offer challenges, of course. Read about how the University
of Wyoming got control of its wireless LAN several years after rolling it out,
using a third-party software management solution, in "Overcoming Wireless
LAN Management Challenges." The article is written by Justin Borthwick,
senior systems programmer and senior network systems manager at the University
of Wyoming. He also talked with Syllabus for this article.
Read more:
http://www.syllabus.com/article.asp?id=8876