Networking for Education
Schools and colleges now need higher speed, more reliable networking, with better coverage... and they need it to be cost effective.
What is Networking?
Whether cabled or wireless or a combination of both, a Local Area Network (LAN) is critical to connect electric devices within a specific area to each other and also to the internet; devices such as computers, laptops, smart phones, printers, scanners, servers and handheld devices.
Why do Schools and Colleges Need a Strong Network Solution?
A network is essential to make the most of technology in an education environment, for communication, sharing, productivity, access to resources and most importantly mobility. The array of technologies that are dependent on a wireless connection and used for learning is more vast today than ever, as is the variety and span of classroom environments: from pre-fabs to thick-walled old buildings, a consistently strong network in every corner of the campus is a challenge not successfully met with bygone networking methods.
Ruckus Smart WiFi
Ruckus Smart WiFi is the first technology that gives school a cost-effective wireless infrastructure with complete coverage despite any obstacle.
Key Benefits
- Consistent, reliable connectivity.
- Two to four times the coverage using fewer Access Points (APs).
- Low packet loss and high performance.
- A safer environment with less interference, through eco-friendly adaptive signal technology.
- System self-healing capabilities.
- The lowest cost of ownership of any WiFi system.
- Support for standard 802.1x, WPA (PSK) and WPA-2 (AES) security, plus automatic wireless setting and encryption key security.
Key Features
Patented signal steering technology.
Each ZoneFlex access point (AP) integrates BeamFlex, a high-gain, directional Smart antenna array. BeamFlex monitors the environment, and dynamically adjusts the signal to the best performing path, automatically steering around interference and obstacles.
Indoor/Outdoor Wi-Fi without pulling cables.
Only ZoneFlex employs Smart Mesh wireless meshing, to eliminate the need to run Ethernet cables to every AP. Our Smart outdoor mesh APs also let schools easily extend coverage to temporary facilities, fields, quads, and other areas where Ethernet is nonexistent. And it's all managed as a single system from a single console.
Deployment in hours, not days.
With ZoneFlex, WLAN configuration is literally performed in minutes through an on-screen Wizard. Deploying APs is radically streamlined as well. With no individual APs to configure, and no Ethernet cables, ZoneFlex APs can be placed quickly in more convenient locations. And there's no need to continually perform costly, time-consuming site surveys, since the system self-adapts to environmental changes.
Multi-tiered user access.
All ZoneFlex APs support up to eight discrete SSIDs, each of which can be configured with a discrete set of user parameters and security settings (encryption or user thresholds). This allows different virtual WLANs to be created for different types of traffic, users, or groups. An elegant, simple-to-use guest networking facility makes allowing and administering guests ultra-easy.
And from a single management point, IT administrators can easily add SSIDs across the entire system to support specific traffic types or user groups, creating a single, robust WLAN that's a ubiquitous utility for everyone.
View the Ruckus Smarter WiFi for Education Brochure (PDF, 3.7MB)
HP FlexFabric - Flexible Networking
Secure, affordable, easy to administer.
Highly scalable, high performance, secure network infrastructure with easily managed policy-driven connectivity.
HP networking technology pools switching resources to create a lower-cost, stable and fault-tolerant environment. HP Virtual Connect Flex-10 can transform a single port into four connections to connect more systems easily and flexibly to the network. The virtualisation capabilities of the FlexFabric architecture consolidates multiple protocols into a single fabric, dramatically reducing network complexity and enhancing performance. Policy-driven provisioning capabilities are tightly integrated with server and storage management. FlexFabric can be easily managed with centralised management tools such as the Intelligent Management Center software. Modular solutions keep the network flexible and scalable.
HP Customers report up to a 65% lower Total Cost of Ownership.1
Built on open, standards-based technologies, HP solutions integrate with your existing infrastructure to make the most of your previous investments and reduce your need for capital expenditure to upgrade your network.
1 'ROI of a Complete Networking Portfolio' IDC white paper, 2010.