Putting Wireless in Residence Halls
Max McGrath, Jim Walsh, Carol Sabbar
Carthage College, Kenosha, WI
About Carthage• Liberal arts• ELCA affiliated• 2200 enrollment,
2000 FTE, 120 faculty, 350 employees
• Kenosha, WI2/3 between Chicago
and Milwaukee
• Mostly residential • Students bring their
own computersC
Wireless in Residence Halls
• Why
• Vendor vs. self-Install
• Our situation
• Products and strategies
• Avoiding potential problems
• Unavoidable problems
• Overall outcome
C
Why wireless• Students want it• Administration wants it
–See it as cheaper–Know that students like it
• Already exists elsewhere on campus• Poor existing wiring plant in res halls• Students bring their own (DHCP hi-jacks)
Disadvantages• Speed (still as fast as OUR wired access)• Reliability• SecurityJ
Vendor vs. Self-Install• Outsource the headache vs.
• Save the expense
We installed our own wireless – including APs in FOUR buildings for what it would have cost to have ONE done by “professionals.”
• Used student crews
• HP equipment
• Informal site surveyJ
Our Situation• Four major residence halls
w/ 615 rooms• 1229 occupants• Reinforced concrete
cinderblock construction• All similar but not identical• IT staff of 6 at the time• 2 staff plus student help on
project• Have done our own wiring
before
M
Our Wiring &Wireless Standards
• First wireless in 1998
• Normally use Cisco gear since 2002; HP for this project
• Structured wiring plant
• PoE since 2004C
Products and Strategies•Where to locate APs
•What APs to use
•Choosing the cable path
C
Avoiding Potential Problems•Setting the channels
•Physical security for the APs
•Data Security?J
Unavoidable Problems•Rogue wireless gear•Drops in signal•Interference•Equipment resets•Physical damage•Security issues
M
Interference
M
Overall Success•It works
•More and less popular than we thought:–More people using as primary–Initially 80-100 users–About 400 users out of 1250 total
•Physical security needed and working
C
The bubble info:•From Global Plastics, NB, Canada
•www.globalplastics.ca
•877-433-4568
•14”x14”x3” with 1.5” flange
•$44 (US) each for clear
•No POs
•Drilled holes ourselves
•Mounted with security screws
C
Wi-Spy Info:• www.metageek.net
• $99
• Detects interference from–Microwave Ovens – Cordless Phones – Baby Monitors – Bluetooth
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