OIT Completes Phase 1 of Wireless Network Upgrade
In the summer of 2021 UT Dallas began an overhaul of the university’s wireless system. This complete wireless upgrade and replacement project – overseen by the Office of Information Technology – was to include the installation of over 3450 access points (AP’s) across some 70+ buildings and outdoor spaces.
The installation of the wireless access point for Residence Hall West on the 17 of March 2022 marked the official completion of the first phase of the project. To ensure minimal interruption of activity on campus, the OIT scheduled the upgrades in waves and partnered with Cloud Ingenuity on several key tasks, including a full appraisal of the network coverage across campus to help ascertain frail signal areas. Other key project partners include Juniper, a company who designed the network and assisted with technical data information, and Ekahau, who utilized a spectrum analyzer which scans airwaves and potential interferences, the signal strengths of Wifi, and the network health. Between research, planning and implementation, the project took about 18 months to complete.
The network upgrades constituted a significant infrastructural undertaking, and with such large-scale developments, setbacks are to be expected. The supply chain issues being experienced nationwide affected timelines and extended the Wi-Fi completion date by a few months. Phase 2 of the project, which takes care of outdoor connectivity, is still being affected by the supply chain.
Campus-wide network upgrades became necessary because of the covid19-influenced network-capacity fluctuations. As people started to filter back in after lockdown laws relaxed, the CPU became overloaded. This upgrade will provide additional capacity and coverage across campus resulting in an enhanced user experience. The UTD community can look forward to stronger Wi-Fi connections and faster network speeds. Areas that did not initially have Wi-Fi are now connected. This is especially beneficial to staff, faculty and students who are on the go, wish to study outside or host outdoor events.
Will access information / login details change because of the upgrade? No! Your login credentials are still the same, but now older and newer devices can connect without disruption. Comet net is now 5 gHz and allows newer devices to connect. Comet net legacy will still allow older and existing clients to connect to the network. The OIT is incredibly proud of the increased network capacity because of these upgrades and hopes that it improves the overall campus experience at UT Dallas.