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New WiFi Rollout Connects Students and Faculty at Evangel U

A need for robust, scalable, reliable wireless infrastructure led Missouri's Evangel University to embark on a WiFi revamp on campus. The university recently rolled out 802.11ac Wave 2 WiFi technology from Ruckus Wireless to enable students to connect with peers and faculty, conduct research and participate in online learning, according to a press release.

To help make the final purchasing decision, Evangel conducted an on-campus competition with demos from different vendors in two identical dorms. After 6–8 weeks, IT collected student feedback and network performance data, and Ruckus was deemed the best choice for the institution.

Evangel's new WiFi rollout includes:

  • 335 Ruckus ZoneFlex R710 access points, offering up to 5dB of signal gain, backwards compatibility with existing WiFi clients, 4x4:4 802.11ac functionality and MU-MIMO;
  • Ruckus ZoneDirector 3000 controllers for network management;
  • Ruckus Dynamic PSK technology for onboarding; and
  • The Ruckus SmartCell Insight data analytics platform for real-time network statistics and analytics.

"We used to receive daily student complaints about on-campus WiFi. Since installing Ruckus' technology, we have not received one," said Gary Blackard, chief information officer at Evangel University, in a prepared statement. "With Ruckus, we were able to get the performance and coverage we needed. Now students can easily connect with multiple devices at the same time."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

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