Highlights:

• Enhanced Campus Connectivity: Achieved 100% Wi-Fi coverage across all campus areas, including classrooms, laboratories, libraries, hostels, and outdoor spaces.
• Improved Network Performance: Addressed performance issues in high-capacity areas, ensuring reliable high-speed internet access during peak usage times.
• Centralized Network Management: Implemented Cisco DNA Center for streamlined network operations, reducing manual workload and enabling the IT team to focus on strategic initiatives.
• Robust Security Measures: Enhanced network security with Cisco ISE, providing secure access control and identity management.
• Future-Ready Infrastructure: Built a scalable and adaptable network infrastructure to meet increasing demands and future technological advancements.

Overview:

The client, a renowned university dedicated to fostering excellence in learning, research, and innovation, recognized the need to expand its existing Wi-Fi infrastructure to accommodate the growing demands of its student body and staff.  

With a rich history spanning 8 years, the university sought to establish a state-of-the-art network infrastructure that would enhance academic excellence, facilitate collaboration, and provide a secure digital environment.

Challenges and Requirements:

To address the university's growing needs, the upgraded Wi-Fi infrastructure needed to provide comprehensive coverage across all campus areas, including classrooms, labs, libraries, hostels, and common spaces. It demanded enhanced capacity, performance, and support for the latest wireless standards to provide fast, reliable, and secure internet access. Additionally, the university necessitated a centralized management system to monitor network performance, user activity, and enable IT staff to analyze, optimize, and troubleshoot connectivity issues effectively.

• Insufficient Wi-Fi Coverage: The existing infrastructure lacked adequate coverage in outdoor areas and high-density locations, leading to connectivity issues and degraded performance.
• Wi-Fi Performance Degradation: Densely populated areas such as Auditoriums, Classrooms, Event Areas, etc. experienced Wi-Fi performance issues during peak usage times, impacting academic and administrative activities.
• AP Failures and Connectivity Disruptions: Random access point failures caused disruptions in connectivity, affecting campus users and creating operational challenges.
• Limited Network Security Measures: Lack of centralized authentication and access control mechanisms posed potential security risks.
• Decentralized Network Management: Fragmented network management hindered visibility, control, and efficient troubleshooting capabilities.

Solution:

The solution was designed around Cisco Catalyst switches, Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE), and Cisco DNA Center. The approach included:

• Initial Site Survey: Conducted a physical walkthrough to identify potential sources of interference and areas requiring coverage.
• Requirement Gathering: Determined bandwidth, coverage, and performance requirements in consultation with IT staff.
• Ekahau RF Heat Maps Creation: Created RF heat maps to simulate Wi-Fi signal coverage and strength, maximizing the use of the 5GHz RF band.
• Installation and Optimization: Installed and configured APs to optimize channel selection, power levels, and bandwidth.
• Post-Deployment Testing: Conducted thorough testing to ensure the network met desired specifications.

AAA System: Cisco ISE was implemented as the central authentication system, enhancing security by ensuring only authorized users gained network access.

Network Management Systems: Cisco DNA Center provided comprehensive Wi-Fi assurance and centralized management, simplifying network operations and enhancing efficiency.

Business Outcomes:

The successful implementation of Cisco's network solutions yielded significant benefits for the university:

1. Enhanced Wi-Fi Reliability: Mitigated disruptions caused by AP failures, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity for campus users.

2. Improved Security Posture: Cisco ISE enforced dynamic access policies, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and potential security breaches.

3. Streamlined Network Management: Cisco DNA Center provided centralized management capabilities, simplifying configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting tasks.

4. Enhanced User Experience: Reliable, high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity across campus supported seamless academic and administrative operations, contributing to user satisfaction of students, faculty, and staff.

5. Future-Readiness: The implemented solution is designed to scale with evolving requirements and technological advancements, ensuring long-term viability and adaptability.

The university's digital transformation, powered by Cisco's secure and automated network solutions, has enabled a seamless and secure digital experience for students, faculty, and staff while laying the foundation for future growth and innovation.