Opened in 1975 to the south of Brisbane, Griffith University specializes in Australian environmental studies, humanities, modern Asian studies, and science, with the addition of recently opened medical and dental schools. Serving a demographic area comprising of the Brisbane-Logan-Gold Coast corridor, the university opened a new $38 million campus at Logan City in the late 1990s. Today it has approximately 40,000 staff and students across five campuses. Over the years, Griffith University has demonstrated a capacity to innovate continually while adapting to change and has acquired an enviable national and international reputation. It is now considered one of Australia’s most progressive and dynamic tertiary institutions (known as higher-education institutions in the United States). The university’s five campuses are situated on the Brisbane-Logan-Gold Coast corridor of southeast Queensland, the fastest growing region of Australia.
Universities, by their very nature, tend to be vibrant and progressive environments. Young people, and especially those engaged in higher education, typically embrace technology, new media, and IT services. To satisfy this social dynamic and to address other more tangible business requirements, Griffith University decided in early 2004 to deploy wireless networks in targeted areas. Adopting a phased deployment process, the network and communication Services group chose to nominate “Smart Zones,” which are specific areas where WLAN connectivity was provided with a high degree of stability, with a service-oriented design philosophy.
Note
Network and Communication Services is a work unit of 18 staff responsible for the design, procurement, implementation, operation, and maintenance of all aspects of the Griffith University voice and data network. Included within this network are a Smithsonian Medal-winning private wide-area network, a 13,000-port data network spanning the five campuses, and a voice network of 7,000 handsets.
The development of an inclusive and wide-ranging web portal, named Wireless@Griffith, was instrumental in achieving the success of the solution. Today, less than two years after the initial planning stages began, the adoption rate has proven higher than expected, and the popularity and real-world benefits of the solution are tangible. Student satisfaction is greater, the WLAN is highly used, the need for dedicated wired computer labs has been reduced, and the university boasts an impressive and progressive online campus in line with its reputation as a trendsetter in the Australian educational sector.
The primary business case for Griffith University’s enterprise-class WLAN was to provide increased IT services, reduce the load on existing computing labs, and supplement existing wired network infrastructure. There was a vocal request from academic staff for wireless services and a strong desire to take advantage of the mobility benefits offered by the technology. Most faculty were already equipped with laptops, and many had personal PDAs, both of which were often used for academic activity and staff productivity services.
Furthermore, extensive research, including large-scale student surveys, showed that more than 50 percent of students owned and used laptop computers. Many of these laptops were already fitted with wireless connectivity, and most students stated a strong desire and support for university-provided wireless service.
Adoption has been very high among the student body, followed marginally by the academic body. All network and IT services are available through the WLAN, which is effectively only an alternative transport medium. It removes the need for users to find a desk and Ethernet port, therefore extending connectivity and access to the users’ locations and not limiting their ability to use IT services to specific localities.
The model Griffith chose for its underlying wireless coverage maps was quite different from that of many other universities. Whereas other educational deployments have typically opted for blanket coverage, Griffith chose to provide connectivity only in specific Smart Zones, for several reasons.
Smart Zones allowed the IT group to dissuade faculty members from using wireless within their staff offices, where they already have 100-Mbps switched cabling. “Most staff do not understand that wireless is a shared medium technology,” says David Renaud, wireless network support engineer at the university, “and is not meant to be a replacement to the wired infrastructure, but as a complementary technology to be used in specific Smart Zones.”
Figure 12-1 shows the Smart Zone, shaded in gray, where wireless coverage is provided in one of Griffith’s campus buildings. Coverage maps, such as this one, are made available on the Wireless@Griffith portal, allowing university students and staff to check service areas at any time.
Equally important, by providing coverage in specific Smart Zones only, users were guaranteed a quality service. Signal strength and coverage are guaranteed in the Smart Zones. Although students and staff might be able to access the WLAN outside of the coverage areas, they can experience low data speeds or connectivity problems. No IT support is offered to users and staff outside the Smart Zone. “By adopting this model, all parties have a clear understanding as to where we will support users on wireless,” explains Renaud.
Griffith University makes the following service disclaimer on its web portal:
“The Wireless@Griffith service is only guaranteed within the shaded coverage areas on the maps. If you are outside these coverage areas, you may still have network access, but you may also experience problems with your wireless network connection. Unless you move into one of the shaded coverage zones, we cannot ensure that you will receive service.”
The Smart Zone model has proven very successful for the university. Satisfaction levels remain high because the user population understands where connectivity is provided.
The IT staff at Griffith University opted for a simple architecture that would integrate seamlessly with their existing security infrastructure. Choosing a simple, flat network with a single VLAN per geographical campus also helped reduce the operational support overhead with easier troubleshooting and second- and third-level support. (You learn more about the university’s three-tiered support system later in the section “Service and Support.”) This in turn provides connectivity to a VPN concentrator only. Access points are therefore isolated from the normal academic network, and access is only possible through authenticated VPN sessions. Additionally, by limiting the numbers of VLANs to one per campus, seamless inter-AP roaming is supported, with no loss of VPN session connectivity.
Figure 12-2 shows how the wireless LAN (shaded in light gray) and access points are isolated from the production data network (shaded in darker gray) by the use of a VPN concentrator. Access to the university network, servers, and services, and even the Internet, must go through the concentrator. This design ensures that only authorized traffic ever traverses the university’s network.
Griffith standardized on the 802.11g WLAN protocol for its WLAN. This choice provided backward compatibility with the older, more common 802.11b standard (also in the 2.4-GHz frequency range), and it also offered higher speeds and increased throughput for client devices that supported 802.11g. It should be noted that 802.11g access points “step down” to 802.11b speeds when 802.11b clients are associated, so the full potential of this decision will not be realized until the majority of older 802.11b clients are replaced by staff and students. The university is actively facilitating maximizing the number of 802.11g clients in use because on-campus computer stores stock Linksys 802.11g cards at competitive rates. David Renaud reports that many hundreds of cards were sold in the first six months of operation. The university therefore encourages the use of 802.11g over the older 802.11b standard.
To reduce cost, the university initially chose not to adopt the 802.11a standard, which would have required purchasing 802.11a radio modules for the university’s access points. More recently, the newer-model access points come with 802.11a by default, and the university encourages users to utilize this frequency band where possible.
The access points have been configured to allow a maximum of 15 concurrent sessions. The university arrived at this figure based on the desire to provide connectivity to its users equivalent to or better than cable/ADSL speeds. A primary architectural and business goal was to provide a quality service to users. User perception of a high-quality service would most likely be influenced by connectivity and speed. “Although 15 may be a smaller number than other institutions have,” says Renaud, “we would rather cut users off at 15, rather than risk the Wireless@Griffith service being perceived as slow and cumbersome.”
Such a perception has been avoided by careful, proactive planning. In locations where traffic was predicted to exceed 15 concurrent users, such as the large Gold Coast campus (where usage peaks around 40 users in the only Smart Zone), more than one AP was installed; in this case, three access points were deployed in one Smart Zone.
Furthermore, the minimum association rate has been set to 11 Mbps. This setting helps manage the size of the cell and ensures that users will always enjoy high throughput. This careful, proactive planning has ensured that a good level of service, or user experience, has been achieved. The emphasis on a quality service has had a very positive effect on the solution’s success.
The signal strength is not limited on most access points, which allows greater coverage. The exception is the university’s South Bank campus, located in the commercial downtown area of Brisbane, a major Queensland city. In this area, access points are configured with lower transmit power to reduce “leaking” into nearby offices and public areas.
Additionally, the IT group uses external omnidirectional antennas to cover several outdoor spaces, besides 6dBi and 12dBi patch antennas.
Wireless users can “step down” to lower speeds the farther away they are from the access points, until they reach 11 Mbps. The access points are configured to allow association at speeds of only 11 Mbps or higher. This setup ensures a quality experience for users and provides more predictable cell sizes and coverage zones.
A global naming standard was adopted in line with the university’s existing policies. This standard ensures that second- and third-level support functions can easily identify the access points and quickly resolve their locations during troubleshooting activities.
Details of the naming standard for APs follow:
<campus><building>[<room>]<device id><ap number>
This scheme is based upon the following values:
campus—. An abbreviation of the campus name, such as na, mg, gc, lo, or sb.
building—. The three-letter code assigned to the building by the Office of Facilities Management, such as BUN or WCN.
room—. The official university room number, such as 1.43c or 0.45. The dot is omitted from the device name.
device id—. A two- or three-letter code used to identify the equipment type. In this case, it is “ap” for access point.
ap number—. An integer value based upon the number of access points in each particular Smart Zone.
An example device name would be nabcn213ap01. This name designates the first access point in room 213 of the BCN building in the Nathan campus.
The university undertook a rigorous and detailed equipment evaluation and selection process. Bruce Scott is the manager of the network and communications services group. His team created detailed requirement specifications and evaluated 10 equipment manufacturers. After initial evaluation and review, a short list of three vendors was created, and extended testing and review was undertaken. Each vendor was asked to supply test access points and clients for the university’s IT staff and laboratories. Finally, the Cisco Aironet solution was adopted and the 1200 series access point selected. Lately, the university has moved on to the more recent 1131 model access point.
Early on, the university identified the need for dedicated WLAN management capabilities. As such, and in line with their selection of Cisco infrastructure, the IT staff selected and deployed the Cisco Wireless LAN Solution Engine (WLSE), a dedicated wireless network management appliance. The WLSE provides the university IT staff with visualization, configuration, and image management, dedicated wireless reporting capabilities, and RF management features.
The Cisco WLSE is also used to provide graphical traffic and usage reports for the service portal, thereby offering IT staff and users intuitive and friendly information on service availability and trends.
Additionally, because a VPN overlay plays a fundamental part in the solution, regular reporting is undertaken for the following:
Total number of unique users on a monthly and cumulative basis
Total number of logons on a monthly and cumulative basis
Average VPN session time on a monthly and cumulative basis (varies between 60 and 100 minutes per logon/session)
The university is also in the process of implementing a comprehensive network operations center that will manage not only the wireless but also the wired network.
Griffith University’s WLAN is supported by a three-tiered system, as described in this section.
Tier 1 is the university’s help desk. Part of the Information Services Division, it provides students and staff with their first port of call when requesting assistance. This team provides basic troubleshooting, including referring end users to the extensive solution web portal that encompasses comprehensive FAQs and training material. Technical problems that cannot be handled at this level can be escalated to Tier 2 support.
Tier 2 support is segmented between staff and student support. Staff support is provided by Element IT, and student support is provided by the Learning and Environment Department.
Element IT support provides detailed technical assistance to university staff on wireless issues and on standard desktop and application support. This support includes remote desktop management where appropriate. This group is also responsible for packaging the preconfigured VPN client in all staff laptops, in line with the university’s Standard Operating Environment (SOE).
The Learning and Environment Department provides daily in-person wireless support for students, which can be booked through the Wireless@Griffith web portal. This support has proven integral to the success of the rapid adoption by students, with hundreds of students training and configuring their laptops each semester. For example, in one three-week period during early 2005, more than 500 students attended training and laptop configuration sessions.
Complex or design-related issues can be escalated to Tier 3: Network and Communication Services.
Tier 3 support is provided by the architects and engineers responsible for the solution. This group includes dedicated WLAN support engineers, such as David Renaud, and is managed by Bruce Scott. Tier 3 support addresses problems escalated by Tiers 1 and 2, which are usually coverage problems or issues relating to access point failures, difficult-to-troubleshoot interference problems, and the more complex RF-based issues.
Because of the straightforward yet secure architecture that Griffith adopted, client management has been greatly simplified. By avoiding the use of specific Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) mechanisms or encryption standards and adopting a secure VPN overlay, the WLAN can support many different client types. No particular configuration is necessary. Each device must be capable of running the university’s Vlink VPN software client, which is available for Windows, Macintosh (Mac OS X), and Linux operating systems. Limited support is also provided for PalmOS and Windows Mobile devices through a third-party client utility. Because the university does not provide this software to users, it must be purchased by those who want to use their PDAs wirelessly.
Additionally, the network and communications services team provides support for several particular wireless cards and drivers, including those produced by Linksys, Apple, and Dell. Other nonsupported clients can just as easily connect, as long as they can successfully use the Vlink VPN software, but the university limits its official support to these clients. University computer stores sell Linksys wireless cards to students who want to wirelessly enable their laptops.
The need for extensive client management is therefore avoided. User support and management are handled through the solution’s service portal, Wireless@Griffith, an internally developed intranet web portal that provides extensive instructions, training material, and links to the various software clients.
Furthermore, the use of a “walled garden” ensures that users are automatically provided with access to the VPN software clients. This setup avoids unnecessary support calls and helps reduce the operational overhead borne by the network and communications services team. Any client who associates to the WLAN and launches a browser is automatically redirected to the service portal, where he download the VPN client. No further connectivity is possible, and the user must install and use the client for further access.
The university WLAN is secured through the use of a VPN overlay. This simple yet extremely secure solution provides robust 128-bit AES-based security and data integrity. Standardizing on two 3000 series Cisco VPN concentrators at different campus locations for redundancy, the WLAN requires users to install and use a repackaged Cisco VPN client, renamed “Vlink” by the university’s IT departments.
Each university student and faculty member is automatically provided with network credentials as part of his normal day-to-day activity. These credentials are used extensively to authenticate the users for everything from basic network access on the wired LAN to Internet access for billing purposes. The WLAN leverages these preexisting credentials, and the VPN client and concentrators use them to validate user identity. By using the same credentials, ease of use is increased, and users are not expected to become familiar with a separate authentication framework.
Radio-based rogue AP detection is undertaken through the features of the Cisco WLSE. The WLSE provides the IT staff (and upcoming NOC) with visualization and alert-based notification of potential rogue APs.
Deployment of Griffith University’s WLAN solution was undertaken on a phased basis. This approach allowed the university’s IT staff to validate the architecture from a technical and security basis, introduce the services on an incremental basis, ensure that support staff were among the first to familiarize themselves with and benefit from the solution, and finally avoid the “big bang” approach for service introduction.
Careful site surveys were undertaken and cabling was laid before each access point was installed. Finally, each Smart Zone was tested before being launched as a production service.
Phase One of the deployment concentrated on IT areas, cafes, outdoor locations, libraries, and learning centers. The areas selected for Phase One were partly defined by the end users (see “Lessons Learned and Recommendations” later) through proactive user surveys and requirements definitions.
Note
Learning centers are “computer labs on steroids,” according to Scott. They are specialized areas set aside for student study, research, and educational activity. Griffith University learning centers typically house 90 desktop PCs in a large open area, with additional breakout rooms and group study rooms available to students. Highly used and very popular, the learning centers provide the students with a dedicated space within the university environment to concentrate on their academic activities. They were a logical prime location for early deployment.
Phase Two of the deployment added all seminar rooms and 80 percent of “bookable” teaching areas (excluding the main lecture halls and laboratories). All staff meeting rooms and common rooms were also included. This phase was only undertaken after the successful completion of Phase One; in other words, the Network and Communications Services team addressed any problems that were identified during Phase One before proceeding with more widespread deployment. Phase Two saw the extension of WLAN coverage into teaching areas and greatly increased the “footprint” of the solution, with more than 150 additional access points deployed.
Phase Three of Griffith University’s deployment addressed the lecture halls and scientific laboratories. Only recently completed (late 2005), this phase adds to the coverage and extends the service into practically all teaching areas. Nearly all outside areas where staff and students congregate are now covered.
A planned fourth phase will be undertaken in. This phase will address dead spots identified by end users and the Network and Communications Services team, in addition to remaining areas that were originally deemed low priority. Phase Four will bring the university closer to ubiquitous coverage.
It pays to plan for capacity because as more and more students purchase laptops, providing enough capacity will be critical.
David Renaud, Wireless Network Support Engineer
An independent vendor was appointed to undertake the site surveys and the installation and configuration of the access points. The vendor was given detailed instructions and a template from which to work. These instructions included the stipulation that a signal strength of at least 50 percent (when measured by the Cisco Airnet Client Utility) was required at all locations within the Smart Zone. This requirement was achieved by taking four signal strength measurements at the extreme edges of the Smart Zone. Where coverage problems occurred, external high-gain antennas were used.
Figure 12-3 shows the location of access point naasn003ap01 in a project room. The four black circles mark the locations where Griffith IT staff measured signal strength to ensure that it met the 50 percent benchmark.
Some general guidelines have been adopted over the course of the deployment phases. These guidelines, based upon environmental factors and the nature of university buildings, offer further direction during the site survey process:
For buildings that have internal concrete walls, there is one access point per room.
For buildings that have internal Gyprock (plasterboard) walls, there is one access point per two to three rooms. However, this is largely determined by the capacity (in terms of potential users) of the rooms, as detailed earlier. If more than 15 concurrent users are expected, more access points are used.
For soundproof rooms and laboratories, access points are mounted inside an AV cabinet or in an area where the signal will pass through a glass window into such a room.
During Phase Three, it was decided that two cables per access point would be installed. Originally, this provision was to allow for an extra access point to be installed in the future, should demand increase. However, university IT staff discovered that they could use the second cable for console access, providing out of band (OOB) management capabilities. This capability has proven to be of great assistance to the IT staff, not the least because of the extended nature of the university’s wireless network, which is spread over five campus locations. Two cables per access point now forms part of the Office of Facilities Management (OFM) building standard.
The site survey vendor configured the access points, working from a template and detailed work instructions, which expedited the deployment and avoided university staff resourcing problems.
Upon physical installation of the access points by the site survey vendor, the access points were configured and tested. During each deployment phase and before the service was launched in each area, the WLAN was tested again by IT staff, and coverage maps were generated. Only after service availability was validated were the areas added to the web portal and the WLAN made available to users in that locality.
Griffith University uses an internally developed and fairly mature project methodology, based upon a typical staged gate approach. Initially, a technical impact statement was produced, detailing the technology, integration, security risks, and proposed high-level architecture. Following this, a business case document was produced that was evaluated and approved by the project advisory group, made up of senior IT management. The project advisory group was assisted by a separate technical advisory group, which focused on the detailed technological, architectural, and security issues.
Upon approval, a project implementation plan was created, and the product evaluation process began, followed shortly thereafter by the detailed design, pilot, and Phase One deployments. Throughout the project, a steering committee of business stakeholders met on a monthly basis for project updates and to track deviations from the plan.
A dedicated project manager, a member of the network and communications services team, managed the project from start to finish.
The primary challenge that the Network and Communications Services group faced was convincing each separate support group to embrace the solution in its entirety. “The issue that caused me the most trouble was support,” says Bruce Scott. Personalized attention was critical, as was ensuring that the support organizations were part of the first deployments; this included those inside Scott’s group and those from other departments. This solution ensured that the IT staff, who would be responsible for the success of the solution, were among the first to benefit from the WLAN. Scott’s team continues to provide training and transfer of information (TOI) sessions to all technical organizations within the university on a periodic basis.
Another challenge was simply delaying the adoption and widespread deployment of WLANs in general, until such time as an approved, secure, and supportable solution and architecture was developed by the network and Communications Services group. “[We] caught a beating in the early days,” recounts Scott, “but it was worth it in the end.” The university now enjoys a robust solution based on proven technology, and it avoided much of the security and technical risks associated with early adoption and trailblazing.
Finally, although the university’s technical teams defined a very secure solution (based on a VPN overlay), the physical security of the access points was of particular concern in an open educational environment. Many of the access points are placed in open areas, with a high degree of public foot traffic, whereas others are in more secluded areas. Both locations present potential vulnerabilities to theft of or interference with the access points. To address this problem, the university chose to conceal the physical location of the access points and to secure them with locks. This solution has been successful—with more than 300 access points installed and more than 30,000 students, not a single incident of physical theft or disruption has occurred.
When asked to describe lessons learned, Bruce Scott and David Renaud provided the following five recommendations.
Define your support model and ensure that it works. University staff members have been very active in ensuring that users can access the WLAN easily and securely. The solution will fail if users cannot depend on reliable WLAN service. The work David’s team put into ensuring a positive user experience and a robust support model has ensured the success of the solution.
Scott recommends that you design, build, test, and pilot the architecture before undertaking a widescale deployment. Phased implementation also allows for the incremental introduction of the solution, along with spreading the support load and ensuring that IT staff are trained and familiar with the service.
Not only did Scott and Renaud’s team pilot its architecture and validate its technical and security stability with an incremental deployment, but it also commissioned independent audits. The university’s WLAN solution was audited by Queensland Audit Office, an independent State Government body that assists the Auditor-General of Queensland in providing independent audit services to the Queensland Parliament and all state public sector entities and local governments in Queensland.
Furthermore, the wireless network was certified as Secure by Electronic Warfare Associates – Australia, a commercial but independent security analysis and vulnerability auditing corporation. EWA-Australia is part of the global Electronic Warfare Associates corporation, based in Herndon, Virginia.
Renaud advises, “Ask your users what they want and where they want it.” By surveying the university faculty and student bodies, Scott’s team was able to tailor, design, and implement a solution that was much more likely to succeed, rather than simply deploying on a standard rolling basis.
Two surveys were undertaken: one for students and the other for academic staff. Satisfying explicit and validated user requirements therefore formed a fundamental part of the design process. The web portal also contains a “Have Your Say” feedback feature that allows users and staff to submit suggestions, complaints, and requests. Scott’s group makes it a priority to address these requests and reported issues as they come up.
Furthermore, a Post Implementation Review survey was undertaken to quantify client satisfaction and identify potential problem areas, including dead spots. The survey results will form part of the planned fourth phase of deployment, with the university fine-tuning the solution.
Note
Griffith University’s use of a Post Implementation Review is an excellent example of an organization putting into action the optimize phase of the PPDIOO solutions lifecycle. By the university ensuring that it is reactive to user requirements and the WLAN is fine-tuned, it optimizes the solution and ensures continued success and client satisfaction.
The use of a comprehensive web portal has been critical to the success of Griffith University’s WLAN. Wireless@Griffith contains comprehensive solutions information, including interactive coverage maps, training, trending reports, and more. Not only is a significant number of FAQs included, but the web portal also includes up-to-date coverage maps at a campus level. Users can click on individual buildings and drill down to floors and even rooms. Furthermore, coverage maps provide digital photographs of every location and room where service is provided. Comprehensive links are provided not only to external resources, including technical support pages for common WLAN vendors (Linksys, Apple, Dell, and so on), but also to independent WLAN technical resources for those interested in the technology, wireless industry, news, and market trends. Finally, user feedback is encouraged by the use of a “Have Your Say” feature. University IT staff members carefully monitor user feedback and react to their concerns and requests, again ensuring client satisfaction and the success of the solution.
The university already used a dedicated web-based reservation system for all bookable rooms in every campus. This system was enhanced with specific details on what rooms and areas had wireless connectivity. The WLAN was integrated into existing business processes, and at the same time, visibility of the features was increased. By advertising wireless connectivity and therefore encouraging staff and users to select wireless-enabled areas, and by providing a user-friendly web portal with contemporaneous usage statistics, interactive coverage maps, and online feedback features, the wireless network at Griffith University has become more than a simple 802.11g network. It has become a very popular addition to the suite of services offered by the Information and Communication Technology Staff group.
Furthermore, installation of dedicated wireless data outlets (above ceiling tiles in Griffith’s case) was added to the university’s standard building design guidelines. At Griffith University, IT staff initiated this decision early in the deployment process. They work closely with the university’s office of facilities management to ensure that all new buildings and refurbishments have wireless data outlets installed and APs supplied, ready to be deployed as part of the standard building fit-out or refurbishment process.
The WLAN is the biggest PR win the IT organization has ever had. | ||
| --David Renaud, wireless network support engineer | ||
In a recent analysis of user trends at the university, Scott noted that the solution has recorded more than 100,000 discrete logins in a six-month period. User adoption has been much greater than expected. On a daily basis, the WLAN enjoys on average more than 200 concurrent sessions. At a minimum, the connectivity this provides to the student body and faculty is equivalent to almost seven additional 30-PC computer labs. Furthermore, adoption contiues to grow.
Because the service is spread over the five campus locations and provides connectivity on a demand basis at locations convenient to students and staff, the benefits are dramatic. “Students love it,” opines Scott, the manager of the team responsible for the design and deployment of the solution. This view has been borne out by the facts. During the first six months of 2005, there were more than 4,000 regular users of the solution, and this number is expected to rise to even higher levels in the future. Even at the current level, this number represents approximately 12 percent of the total student population and nearly 25 percent of all laptop users (based on 2005 student numbers).
Scott’s team plans on deploying a fourth phase of the WLAN. This phase will cover any dead spots identified by the university’s staff, but it will also react to user feedback and requests collected through the solution’s online user feedback feature. Phase Four will also cover nearly all PhD and research spaces. Consultation with all faculty members and input from all IT support teams are being used to determine which spaces will be covered.
Additionally, a pilot of 802.11-based wireless phones will be undertaken soon. Planned as a replacement of existing pagers and two-way radios, the university’s PABX is already capable of supporting VoIP, a critical requirement for WiFi-based IP telephony.
Griffith University has succeeded in designing and deploying a very successful and popular wireless LAN by focusing on business value and user requirements.
The university decided to deploy wireless LANs for both the student body and faculty in early 2004 on an incremental, phased basis. Instead of introducing wireless LANs earlier, the university’s Network and Communications Services group waited for the technology to mature and for the group to better understand their end-user requirements. Proactive engagement with the academic staff and student body, including comprehensive user surveys, allowed the university to tailor the solution to exactly what its users wanted.
The use of Smart Zones, targeted areas for wireless connectivity, allowed IT staff to carefully manage the solution, providing a higher level of service and quality than typically experienced in institutions of higher education.
A comprehensive web portal, Wireless@Griffith, has greatly assisted in the success of the solution.