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