Campus Wireless Signals Get a Boost

Anastasia Economides

Business Manager/Treasurer

            We are owned by the wireless technology that we possess; so much so that there has been a growing need to create more wireless hot spots (any location where Wi-Fi network access, usually Internet access, is made publicly available) around campus. The Office of Information Technology and Resources (OITR) continues to improve Adelphi's wireless network by expanding coverage and protecting its users for better access.
            As of now, there are close to 70 access points, set up in convenient indoor and outdoor locations in public gatherings and instructional areas, such as lounges, resident halls, lecture halls, and open fields.  One hot spot recently added is the populated quadrilateral bench situated between the University Center and the Hagedorn Hall of Enterprise. 
            Due to the reconstruction and expansion of parking lots, OITR is also deploying 10-12 more access points in the lots, "since these are the places more and more people are spending their time in," chuckled Brian Imbriani, Network Systems Administrator.  People will now have access in the privacy of their vehicles.  To better locate the access points, yellow signs with black symbols are put up around the walls of buildings.  OITR has their own user-friendly website as well, http://infotech.adelphi.edu/resources/wireless.php, with up to date maps of where the hot spots are, along with basic instructions on how to gain access to the free feature.
            Associate Director of Network and Systems Fred Hicks addressed that the wireless network is a privileged service solely for the Adelphi community, and steps were taken to protect it from outsiders.  A wireless card must be properly configured and enable the flow of 128-bit encryption traffic.  A user must have a valid e-campus account for identity-based authentication.  Guest access is not available, and if an outsider attempts to input Adelphi's network name, or SSID, onto their list of available networks to connect to, a feature was enabled to make the network appear invisible.
            The network is enhanced to better handle reliability issues. OITR uses the "B standard" out of three possible standards (A,B, and G), which is considered to provide the best potential range.  There has never been a complete system failure, and there are no recent access point failures.  Cases where the network will stop functioning temporarily are when maintenance and updates are performed, and the office is prepared to notify the entire campus on when service will be resumed.
            Though the system can handle many users at one time, ranging from 50-100 people at once, a number of factors can inhibit signal strengths that are beyond OITR's handling.  Such include how far away a user is from an access point and quality of the devices' components, such as the capability of installed wireless card.  Other interferences with frequency are cordless phone usage, electromagnetic lights, and even walls, which is why two access points on a coverage map may be shown to be placed close together; coverage directions will be opposite from one another and thus, satisfy the entire area.