Is the Time Right for Wireless-N Upgrades? Tight budgets, evolving demand and new capabilities present K-12 IT departments with difficult choices

W i r e l e s s - N f o r K - 1 2

A Sensible, Low-Cost Move: Upgrade to Wireless-N

With a Wireless-N upgrade, you can cover more area and boost performance to 300Mbps or more. That means better experiences for users.

The 802.11n standard has been ratified, and equipment is available at very attractive price points. But there are some questions that need to be addressed before you proceed. For example:

• Can you accommodate the new, engaging, high-bandwidth applications that advance your educational goals?

• Will your existing backbone offer the kind of performance necessary to support 802.11n to the edge of your network?

• What kinds of wiring and power issues are you up against?

• How will you prioritize traffic to enable applications like VoIP?

• How will you deal with the increased security concerns associated with broader user access to your network?

• Are E-Rate funds available for your upgrade efforts?

New construction projects stretched the physical limits of existing computer networks. And, higher bandwidth demand encouraged schools to install more APs, increasing interference and reducing performance.

Curriculums also evolved to support a new generation of information consumers and producers who weave text, video and audio content into their presentation and research efforts. Class schedules, library data, administration files, quizzes, tests, activities calendars and grading systems also went online.

The users, of course, have gone mobile with a broad range of Wi-Fi-enabled devices and the expectation of connectivity in labs, libraries and work areas across K-12 campuses. Finally, the economic downturn and budget cuts have complicated an already challenging IT environment.

All of this transformed the education IT landscape in unprecedented ways. So, how do you meet pressing new demands while adapting to austere budgetary conditions? And what do you need to know about current wireless network architecture challenges in order to get the most value out of your investments?

The past decade witnessed massive IT advances and new challenges

at educational institutions across the country. New initiatives rolled out

to address rapidly increasing class sizes. Schools demanded seamless

connectivity to support tech-savvy student and faculty populations.

Core Bandwidth vs. Edge Bandwidth: Why Wireless N will flop if you don’t enhance existing infrastructure

One of the first things you need to consider before kicking off a Wireless-N upgrade is the state of your existing infrastructure. If your core network is 10/100, then you’ve got very little incentive to hang 802.11n APs off of that.

If the best you can do is 100Mbps, then the 54Mbps that 802.11g offers is probably sufficient. On the other hand, if you’ve got or can upgrade to Gigabit Ethernet infrastructure, you can take full advantage of 802.11n’s 300Mbps or higher bandwidth.

You may also want to consider a 10Gbps backbone. Some larger institutions might even consider 10Gbps switches at strategic wiring closets. With 10Gbps support, you’ll avoid bandwidth bottlenecks and ensure smooth, future-proof growth into new applications that demand high-bandwidth.

D-Link offers several options for this approach. three solid approaches to bringing wireless under better control and lowering the real cost of ownership for education:

• Managing wireless APs as a group per campus.

• Unifying wired and wireless district-wide via a wireless controller in your network’s wired infrastructure.

• Cloud-managed wireless in which a virtual controller in the cloud provides real-time automated management of all the APs in the district.

• D-Link will move you into Wi-Fi managed by CloudCommand™, AP Manager II or a unified wireless switch based on which approach best satisfies your overall networking needs at the lowest total cost.

AP Placement and PoE: How to reduce the number of APs required and eliminate dead zones

Many educational institutions are seriously considering 802.11n upgrades because of coverage improvement and management advantages. Greater 802.11n range helps to eliminate dead zones. And, with automated channel and bandwidth selection 802.11n can improve performance in classrooms packed with wireless devices. To enable the proper coverage, however, you usually need to place APs up high, in places away from power.

MultimediaAccording to analysts, almost 66% of the world’s mobile data traffic will be video by 2014. Video traffic alone will grow 131% (CAGR) over the next three years. Think YouTube, educational videos and the like.

Personal/Mobile DevicesThese ubiquitous mobile devices present authentication and security issues, but as they prove their academic benefits more schools will be allowing and even integrating them into their network.

High-Bandwidth Interactive AppsGoogle Earth, mapping software, etc.

Voice-Over-Wi-Fi (VoWi-Fi)Schools realize that they can utilize their networks to reduce phone costs and improve productivity and communications practices. General VoIP growth will top 101% CAGR.

MobilityStudents and staff expect robust connectivity when they go mobile. Wi-Fi networks will absorb much of this traffic.

CollaborationNew initiatives are matching students and teachers in 1-to-1 network-enabled sessions. Students and teachers will continue to work on multiple platforms and with multiple remote users. Think sister schools, foreign exchanges, tutoring, and cross-border projects.

Point-to-Point CommunicationsStreaming lectures, video conferencing with remote experts, virtual field trips Video chat, Skype, ooVoo and other IM-type platforms expect to see 94% CAGR.

D-Link’s Cloud-Managed Wi-Fi for K-12 DistrictsFor many districts, the simplest, lowest cost way to create, secure and manage enterprise-class

Wi-Fi networks on K-12 campuses will be a cloud-managed approach. D-Link Access Points with

CloudCommand™ technology offer the features and robustness required for multiple campuses

spread over a district managed by an IT staff that’s already stretched thin.

Just plug in D-Link CloudCommand™-powered APs for everything needed to deploy, configure,

secure and manage Wi-Fi networks:

• Simple cloud-based control of powerful D-Link APs;

• Deploy multiple access points in minutes, not days;

• Manage remotely online, anytime, anywhere;

• No hardware controllers required (provides as a service in the cloud);

• No on-site configuration needed;

• Single point of management for all access points

D-Link In Action:

Focused on Unique K-12 Challenges and OpportunitiesD-Link solutions help you keep information flowing, ideas evolving and students actively achieving. We understand the usage and application drivers that are placing pressure on your existing infrastructures, and our products are specifically designed for the new generation of information consumers and creators that leverage multimedia and streaming content, mobile apps, video conferencing tools, VoIP, smart phones and more.

With D-Link you can fund a much more ambitious IT infrastructure and add leading-edge Wireless-N capabilities without breaking the bank. We’re well aware of all the considerations that come into play when you’re trying to fund ambitious projects on a tight budget.

Our ultimate goal is to keep your projects moving forward and keep your students and faculty actively engaged in the learning process.

D-Link offers three solid approaches to bringing wireless under better control and lowering the real cost of ownership for education:

• Managing wireless APs as a group per campus.

• Unifying wired and wireless district-wide via a wireless controller in your network’s wired infrastructure.

• Cloud-managed wireless in which a virtual controller in the cloud providesreal-time automated management of all the APs in the district.

D-Link will move you into Wi-Fi managed by CloudCommand™, AP Manager II or a unified wireless switch based on which approach best satisfies your overall networking needs at the lowest total cost.

Here are just a few specific products that fit well in the education setting.

DAP-2590 AirPremier® N Dual Band PoE Access Point with Plenum-rated Chassis

DAP-2690 AirPremier® N Simultaneous Dual Band PoE Access Point

DAP-2553 AirPremier® N Dual Band PoE Access Point

DWL-8600AP Unified Wireless PoE Access Point, Simultaneous Dual Band 802.11n

DWS-4026 Managed 24-port Gigabit L2+ Unified Wireless PoE Switch, 4 SFP Combo Slots, 2 10GbE Slots

The solution? Power over Ethernet (PoE), which eliminates the expense of running power conduit as well as Ethernet cable. Be aware that a few poorly designed dual-radio 802.11n APs require more power than standard PoE equipment supplies. While PoE+ switches or add-on power injectors can address the issue, you can avoid it by specifying PoE-compliant APs.

802.11n with QoS Makes Wi-Fi VoIP and Video Practical

Wireless-N technology makes VoIP – over wireless – practical. This was never really a reasonable option for large user bases with 802.11a/b/g, because, with voice, you can’t afford to lose packets, and you need a large swath of dedicated, “clean” bandwidth to make that happen.

The 2.4Ghz band that 802.11b/g use, for example, is too “dirty” for VoWi-Fi. There are just too many dropped packets and too much latency. You could use 802.11a and take advantage of the 5GHz band, but that’s relegated to a maximum throughput of 54Mbps, so the number of users on the network can pose problems.

Wireless-N offers an elegant solution for latency and jitter-free calls. The equipment can transmit over any channel in the 2.4Ghz and 5GHz bands, or cloud-managed APs can automatically opt for “dual band selectable” or “dual radio” equipment that takes advantage of both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz simultaneously. With a dual radio set up, for example, you could segment VoWi-Fi traffic on the 5Ghz band and handle everything else that’s not packet-loss sensitive on the 2.4Ghz band. A unified wireless switch “load balances” between the two different radios, as well.

Even if you’re not planning on using 802.11n for VoIP, the spectrum flexibility and load balancing capabilities (with dual radios and unified wireless switches) allow you to support a greater number of users and applications in a wide area.

e d u c a t i o n

Learn more about Wireless-N solutions.

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Network Security Audits

Network Security Audits provide guest portals that can schedule any time or after school public Internet access securely isolated from the main school network.

Security is particularly relevant in light of new National Broadband Plan developments in the United States. Industry experts say the US Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) new National Broadband Order is likely to influence Canada’s wireless spectrum allocation and broadband coverage. This opens the door for schools to take advantage of fiber lines and Gigabit Ethernet for “school spots” for expanding access. This is just the kind of network upgrade that’s perfect for the 802.11n layer.

The “school spot” strategy in the U.S. funds the extension of wireless resources to the general community. But you can’t mix general population usage with school population usage. You need a solution that can isolate after hours, Internet-only usage for the public while keeping student, teacher and administration resources secure and separate.

D-Link’s 802.11n APs provide guest portals that can schedule any time or after school public internet access securely isolated from the main school network. And with D-Link’s better economic model, you can build a robust network infrastructure despite constrained budgets. The Department of Education’s National Educational Technology Plan 2010 revisions to E-Rate provide funding incentives for students and educators to have “adequate broadband access to the Internet and adequate wireless connectivity both inside and outside school” and “at least one Internet access device.” Building out better infrastructure makes good long-term sense, as well. When you invest in better equipment, enhanced security, centralized control and future-proof solutions, you lower ongoing costs and free IT staff, teachers and administrators to better serve the needs of students.

We can help you move next generation wireless initiatives forward despite tight budgets. With D-Link, you can realize truly visionary outcomes – with free flowing knowledge, worldwide connections, and more quality interactions between educators and students.

Security Considerations and E-Rate Opportunities: Can you successfully mix campus and community access?

In the K-12 setting, network security is always high up on the list of concerns. You need to “open up” your network to allow for collaborative, multimedia exchanges, but you have to “lock it down” to ensure the safety and privacy of students and staff.

You need to deliver robust security and the appropriate access control. However, providing individualized access to network and learning resources is difficult, especially when each student is using a device of their choice. In addition, protection is needed to prevent private devices from bringing back viruses and malware that can lead to total network outages. Fortunately D-Link offers a full range of integrated security solutions including double encrypted, per-user security on its cloud-managed Wi-Fi and comprehensive end-to-end security including:

• Intruder detection

• CIPA-compliant UTM firewalls

• Client security policy protection

To learn more about upgrading your wireless networks to 802.11n, please visit our 802.11n resources online. You can also dig deeper into the issues facing K-12 organizations by visiting our dedicated K-12 site. Or just call our education group directly at 888.331.8686 .