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CITES > project status > campus network upgrade > announcements and presentations > July 2006 news brief

Campus Network Upgrade Project
News Briefs No. 6 -- July 2006

Meru wireless equipment update
As part of the effort to extend UIUCnet Wireless coverage to every public space on campus, CITES wireless network engineers have been ramping up the installation and deployment of Meru wireless access points. Since March, CITES has installed more than 200 of them, and another 300 have been ordered. That brings the campus-wide total to 556 deployed access points. By the end of the year, 56 percent of UIUC classrooms and teaching labs will have UIUCnet Wireless coverage.

“We are deploying wireless much faster,” said Debbie Fligor, Network Engineering Developer for the wireless network. “With Meru, the time to design the wireless network in a building is much, much shorter.”

The Board of Trustees approved the purchase of Meru wireless equipment at their January 2006 meeting. In addition to being able to design the wireless networks faster, Fligor also said that the Meru access points provide higher throughput to 802.11g users when there are 802.11b users nearby, making the wireless user experience better for those who have 802.11g wireless cards. One of the reasons the Meru system was selected by CITES was because it excels in high-density deployments and in handing off mobile users between access points.

The Meru hardware has also shortened the deployment cycle.

“We had a team of eight staff members who configured 71 Meru access points for the Vet Med Teaching Hospital,” said Tammy McMasters, manager of the Network Design Office. “Normally, that work takes about a week, but we got it done in three hours.”

Kick-offs meetings, construction starts, ongoing construction and building completions

Kick-off meetings:
The kick-off meeting for the Armory was held on July 24. Six colleges with offices in the Armory were represented. The Armory will be upgraded during the summer of 2007. No classes will be scheduled in the Armory next summer to facilitate the Network Upgrade construction.

Construction starts:
Gregory Hall – started on May 1, 2006.
University High – started on June 5, 2006.

Ongoing buildings:
Law Building – started on February 2, 2006
Foreign Language Building – started on February 15, 2006
Music Building – started on March 3, 2006
Main Library – started on April 4, 2006.

Building completions:
David Kinley Hall – completed on May 2, 2006
Rehabilitation Clinic  – completed on May 2, 2006
Tech. Commercialization Lab – completed on May 2, 2006
Meat Sciences Lab – completed on May 19, 2006
Waste Management (electronics only)  – completed on May 19, 2006           
Astronomy (electronics only) – completed on June 2, 2006
Speech & Hearing  – completed on June 2, 2006
Architecture Building  – completed on June 15, 2006
Altgeld Hall – estimated cutover date of Aug. 15, 2006
Vet Med Teaching Hospital, Small Animal Clinic – estimated cutover date of August 28, 2006.

For more scheduling information, please see the Campus Network Upgrade Project Status Table.

Summary of the July 6th Academic Network Advisory Group (ANAG) Meeting

1. ANAG board members voted to add the following buildings to the Year Three Building list: Quonset hut #4 (building #668) at Willard Airport; the Computer Applications and the Oil Chemists buildings (for May 2008 occupancy); and the Natural History Building.

2. ANAG members also agreed to monitor the scope and timeline of the Lincoln Hall renovation project.

Year 3 Building List complete
With the addition of four new buildings approved at the July ANAG meeting, the Year Three Building list now includes 47 buildings.

For more information on Year 3 buildings, please see the “2007 Campus Network Upgrade Building Status” section of the Campus Network Upgrade Project Status Table.

Thank you note from Peter Siegel 
"As many of you know, I am moving to a new position at UC Davis.  I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your strong commitment to the campus network upgrade; your solid advice and feedback to me, CITES, and the campus community broadly; and for all your efforts generally on behalf of this great campus.   There is much we have accomplished and I have full confidence that your efforts will thrive and grow well into the future.  Best wishes for a productive year in all your endeavors." -- Pete Siegel