Courier™ Case Studies

Wide ranging, Secure Wireless Connections for Laptop Computers

Organization:

Enfield County Lower School

Location:

Enfield, U.K.

Type of Business:

A secondary school with more than 1,000 pupils

Products Used:

USR5451 MAXg Access Point, USR5446 Power over Ethernet Kit

The Challenge

Enfield County Lower School provides two groups of 16 laptops each for use by students in classrooms and educational settings, and teachers for educational purposes and record keeping. Students use the laptops to access various software applications, the Internet, and school resources, while teachers prepare grades, lesson plans, and conduct research. Those laptops were mobile on two Lap Safe trolleys, but in order to access network resources or the Internet, had to be located near an Ethernet jack. Staff and students were frustrated being tied to certain locations to use the network.

A wireless solution was the only way forward, and Enfield County Lower School turned to W3 Professional Solutions (W3), specialists in indoor and outdoor wireless solutions, for assistance with the design, development, and installation of that solution.

The Solution

W3 worked with the IT staff at Enfield County Lower School to survey the campus and the area they were interested in covering with the wireless network. With more than 1,000 pupils and a large site, a powerful, yet secure network was needed, and W3 selected USRobotics’ MAXg products as key components for the solution. Providing more than 50% greater range than standard 802.11g network equipment along with maximum performance of 125 Mbps, the MAXg line was ideal for the school’s network. Seventeen Wireless MAXg Access Points (APs) were installed in classrooms, hallways, and common areas.

In addition, W3 installed a USR5446 Power over Ethernet Kit with each AP so they could be installed exactly where they were needed without requiring additional electrical outlets.

The Benefits

Wireless coverage at Enfield County Lower School now reaches each and every classroom on both the ground and first floors of the school, the sports field, and even the staff room and library, where APs are not located. Signal strength is at a near maximum across school grounds, and teachers and students are free to move about the campus to use the laptops in whatever situation the class brings. Additional school-owned laptops in the science labs and design/technology rooms are able to access the connection from the third floor of the school, two floors away from any AP or network connection.

“We chose USRobotics’ product because the price and performance meant that it was the perfect solution for the school’s budget,” says Percy Roach, Technical Manager for W3. “The speed, range, and POE ready APs come with a level of security the school needs, but at a price they can afford.”

In addition to enhanced range and speed, the MAXg wireless network provides a complete suite of security measures, ensuring the school’s network is locked down and inaccessible to outsiders. Enfield County Lower School utilizes 64/128-bit Wired Equivalent Protection (WEP), which is broadly backward compatible with legacy equipment and provides the level of security the school needs. Should additional protection and security be required in the future, more powerful wireless protection is available from the APs, including the latest Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) and WPA1. With WPA and WPA2/802.11i, 64/128-bit WEP encryption, and support for VPN pass through (PPTP, IPSec, and L2TP), the APs provide a level of security not typically found on consumer wireless devices.

“Everything is working perfectly,” says Ediz Mehmet, Enfield County Lower School Network Manager. “The USRobotics solution has given us more coverage than we ever expected and our teachers and students are thrilled with the elimination of cables and the ability to move freely around the classroom, building, and campus with their computers.”