By mid-January, ITS had rolled out three enhancements to the campus network: A faster connection for Alexander Gymnasium, a faster connection for the Academy of Music, and wireless access in Wriston.
Alexander Gymnasium has participated in the campus network over a wireless link for about five years. As the athletics department's reliance on the campus network grew during that period, the relatively slow speed of the existing link became increasingly problematic. Over the winter break, ITS staff replaced the existing hardware with new, faster equipment, yielding a four-fold increase in network speed for the gym.
At the Academy of Music, located near Jones Park at Water and Olde Oneida Streets, the link to the campus network had been provided by a circuit leased from the telephone company. While quite reliable, it was very slow, and the academy's programs also called for increased bandwidth. With the extension of the campus fiber optic network from Hiett to the new Physical Plant offices on Water Street, we also gained an opportunity to connect the Academy of Music to the campus network wirelessly. Work on that upgrade was complete in mid-January.
Also over the winter break, wireless access to the campus network was added in the Wriston Art Center. This means that wireless access is now available in all academic buildings except Waterman House and Con West, as well as in Memorial Union and Downer Commons.
The addition of wireless in Wriston completes our work on wireless for 2006-2007. Discussions are currently under way, however, concerning areas in which wireless should be added during the 2007-2008 academic year. If you have comments and suggestions that will help us in our planning, please direct them to the ITS Helpdesk via email (helpdesk@lawrence.edu) or phone (ext. 6570).