Networking & Wireless | News
Wittenberg U Revamps Network To Support BYOD and Flipped Classrooms
Wittenberg
University in Ohio has upgraded its networking hardware and network
management system to support its bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and
flipped classroom initiatives.
The university's old network used outdated 802.11g WiFi technology and
couldn't provide the reliable, high-performance service the university
needed for these new endeavors. To support its BYOD and flipped
classroom initiatives, the university implemented an
Enterasys higher education solution from
Extreme Networks.
The university's new network includes Enterasys
S-Series terabit-class modular switch routers at
its core; Enterasys
C-Series switches at its edge; Enterasys
3700-Series wireless access points (APs) and
controllers for indoor and outdoor WiFi; as well as
Mobile IAM and Enterasys
Network Access Control (NAC).
The university is also implementing a managed video delivery system
from
Kaltura.
The system will be integrated with the school's
Moodle learning
management system (LMS), so students, faculty, and staff can create and
store video content in their electronic classroom space and view it
outside the classroom. The upgraded network will support this system,
which includes "WiFi-connected iPads to launch and control a wireless
drone that captures video and virtual lab spaces," said Bob Nilsson,
director of vertical solutions for Extreme Networks, in a prepared
statement.
As a result of the network upgrades, the core capacity of the
university's network has increased from 1 gigabit to 10 gigabits, and
the WiFi network now uses the higher capacity 802.11n technology.
According to Extreme Networks, the university now has its network in a
single view for easier wired and wireless access management, and the
solution enables network administrators to set quality-of-service (QoS)
priorities to set different service levels for wired and wireless users
or to allocate more bandwidth for educational and classroom services
over extracurricular use.
"Having increased visibility and the capability to manage different
service levels not only makes it easier for us, but also allows the
university to provide critical services needed across the various
combinations of users and functions," said Rick Mickool, chief
information officer for Wittenberg University, in a prepared statement.
Wittenberg University is a liberal arts college located in Springfield,
OH. It serves 1,900 students and employs 470 faculty and staff,
including three networking staff members.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at leilameyer@gmail.com.