Karl has been spending time planning a better network infrastructure for the campus while staying within the scope of a limited mission budget. After a lot of research, and weighing the benefits of a wired vs. wireless network, he decided to test outdoor equipment that is normally used for wireless internet service providers. This is a little bit different than in the past because the mission has been using equipment designed for use in the home, some of which has been installed in window sills, for use by a large number of people. Staff and students have come to find it difficult to receive a consistent and stable connection to the network.
Having a stable wireless topology will offer NTMC several benefits, some of which include: not having to run cables from building to building, lower cost than a “hard wired” network, and one that is important to the maintenance of the equipment… new equipment will be installed outdoors, in publicly accessible areas where configuring and servicing them will not interfere with people’s daily activities.
In the picture is Karl standing by the first install. The radio is the white portion at the bottom, and the antenna is the dingy white portion at top. Together these units are a rugged version of a home wireless router that is designed to withstand the elements (down to -40 degrees if it ever gets that cold outside) and to push out the most power to get network access to where it is needed. It also runs on a technology called POE (power over ethernet) so that separate electric lines do not need to be run outside to power the equipment.
Staff and students are already running happily over this setup and Karl expects to be duplicating this type of network access around campus, however he and his team leader have decided to let this equipment run for a few months to see how well it performs in the long run. Good idea.
In the meantime, Karl will be looking at overhauling the NTMC HQ’s network storage and backup strategy. It could use the same kind of care as the various networks on campus have had. :-)
