Duke University Has World's Largest Individual Wireless Network

Network specialist Cisco has just announced that it finished outlining the upcoming wireless network of 2,500 routers at the Duke University. The effort resulted in world's largest 802.11n network owned by a single organization to date.

While the 802.11n standard is still in draft form, wireless networking gear providers are continually promoting it as the standard of the future. The IEEE organization has just voted the latest draft of the standard (3.02) last month. The fourth version of the 802.11n wireless specifications set is expected by the end of March. However, Cisco previously claimed that the upcoming drafts of the.11n wireless will also be supported by the current hardware via firmware updates.

The Duke University relied on the extended compatibility when it decided to adopt the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard. The 6 million square feet of its Durham, N.C. Campus will be rigged with 2,500 of Cisco's Aironet 1250 Series access points, that would allow students to wirelessly connect to the campus network. Both residence halls and classrooms will have wireless access to the network.

According to Tracy Futhey, Duke's chief information officer, the 802.11n wireless will improve the quality of life for the 45,000 students, faculty and staff living in the campus. Moreover, the largest wireless network ever will consolidate the University's position as a technology leader among other educational institutions worldwide.

"Wireless on our campus is absolutely critical to our 24-by-7 population. Universities are an ideal testing ground for new technologies, especially wireless uses and devices, because students are spending their entire day on campus in a mobile manner. They live, learn, work and play on campus. At Duke, we really have the opportunity to apply innovative wireless technology that can meet the demands of a diverse, mobile user base and enrich their academic and social experience as a result," she claimed.

The first tests performed on the network measured data transfer rates of about f 130 Mbps per client for users with 802.11n-ready devices, while the .11g devices also witnessed speed boosts, although not as significant as the n draft offers.

The university will mostly use the wireless network for feeding education video to students, such as high-definition TV (HDTV) over Wi-Fi. According to campus representatives, the students will be provided with digital recordings of all their classes and all course materials at any time.

"802.11n is clearly ready for prime time, and Cisco continues to deliver a reliable 802.11n solution to meet mobility needs. Duke is one of the first organizations to realize the benefits of a Cisco 802.11n wireless network and what it enables them to do: transform how they learn, live and play," said Ben Gibson of Cisco.

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