Page 77 - DCAP311_DCAP607_WIRELESS_NETWORKS

Unit 4: Wireless Networks Types and PAN Technologies

efficient way to implement system management and controls—including preventing the Notes
infiltration of unauthorized devices. At the same time, with the number of users steadily
growing, finding an effective way to segregate student and public access from the private
faculty/staff wireless network was also becoming a priority. With no single point of
management, the IT staff was spending increasing amounts of time performing hands-on
maintenance and troubleshooting of individual components throughout all the different
school buildings. They also had to find a way to abate the growing number of students
and faculty using their own personal wireless devices on the school network (laptops,
mobile phones and other hand held devices). These critical issues related to system
management and security became a drain on IT department resources which translated
into an unacceptable level of cost for the school system.
Performance. The legacy wireless network lacked the required throughput capability and,
in turn, the predictability needed for running critical school applications. The old network
would often exhibit “shaky” performance when used for state required Standards of
Learning (SOL) testing. As a result, ensuring Quality of Service (QoS) during SOL testing
and other on-line assessments became a high priority concern for the IT staff. With a plan
for growth in the number of wireless devices in classrooms, GCPS needed a scalable system
that provided all the required capacity without compromise in performance.
Scalability. Like most public school systems, GCPS is subject to the push to devote more
space to learning and less to other areas of school operations. With physical space at a
premium, the IT department was running out of viable options for housing their expanding
LAN equipment. This dilemma made the idea of expanding the wireless network under a
centralized system an even more attractive option.
The Meru Solution
With its list of technology priorities in hand, a short window of opportunity to deploy a new
solution, and a fixed budget, GCPS turned to their technology service partner, Advanced
Network Systems, to find a wireless system that met all of their requirements. During the
summer of 2008, GCPS replaced its legacy system with a Meru solution consisting of an
MC3100 controller and 74 AP311 dual radio access points. The solution was deployed at
the County's high school, middle school and two elementary schools.

Reaping the Benefits of Meru
According to Dale Herring, the benefits realized as a result of the Meru solution deployment
were numerous. “We've been extremely pleased with Meru. We now have a really
powerful system that has all the capabilities that we need,” said Herring. He added, “From
an IT perspective, the Meru system's centralized configuration and management features
have cut down on a lot of time we used to spend maintaining all the different systems we
had.” Herring noted that another benefit of the Meru system is its high level of flexibility.
“Because we now have a consistent wireless solution, device compatibility issues have been
eliminated; this allows GCPS' IT team to easily share laptops and other devices between
schools when demands shift. Since there are no configuration changes to perform, devices
move seamlessly from school to school. Having this kind of flexibility means we spend less
of our time on management and a smaller budget needed because we don't have to have
as many devices at every school.” Herring noted, “One of the big reasons we chose a Meru
solution is its compatibility and technology investment protection. No matter what type of
device is connected to the network, a/b/g or n, Meru's access points can accommodate all
the least common denominator in terms of performance as we go forward.”

Expanding on the idea of better system performance Herring added, “Because Standards
of Learning testing is considered a mission-critical application for the school district, we
need to have guaranteed quality of service when it comes to its implementation. ‘Hiccups'
Contd...

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