Wi-Fi is now the primary method by which students, staff, and faculty access the campus network and all other IT services. Our previous wireless network design and coverage did not adequately support the growing level of use, necessitating changes to the system. Over the past several years, Berkeley IT has worked to implement improved Wi-Fi service for campus but this work has been delayed at times when funding was not available to proceed. Despite these challenges, we have continued to make progress towards our goal of upgrading Wi-Fi infrastructure for all of campus. This work is part of a larger program of Network User Experience Improvements.
Goal
The goal of this project was to improve the density of our Wi-Fi network throughout campus, to improve performance and reliability, improve the campus user experience, increase the efficiency of our networking services, and better support teaching and research.
We achieved this by implementing a modern Wi-Fi network infrastructure that supports 802.11ac/ax 5.0GHz connectivity throughout campus, with a primary focus on educational and research spaces.
Project Scope
- Our previous wireless infrastructure manufactured by Cisco Systems had aged and reached the end of its supported life. This project replaced our aging infrastructure with a modern solution manufactured by HPE/Aruba.
- Extensive installation of data cabling has been completed to support the installation of approximately 8,000 new access points and the relocation of an additional 4,000.
- Cabling for relocated and abated old Wi-Fi access points was removed.
- This work was funded through June 2020 with a plan to have 45% of approximately 12,000 total WAPs (Wireless Access Points) installed by then. This estimate was based on the current projected design and modifications to the Wi-Fi system. Additional funding was approved in July 2022 to continue this critical work.
Current Status
As of December 2022, Berkeley IT has completed the originally planned upgrades to Campus Wi-Fi infrastructure. We replaced 5,170 obsolete access points across campus with 10,400 modern access points, increasing density and capacity for Wi-Fi connectivity and enabling new services to be deployed to improve access options for our users. Initially, the project goal was to provide Campus with a 100% 5Ghz capable, Wi-Fi 5 (AC) network. In addition to meeting this goal, 46% of access points are now Wi-Fi 6 (AX) capable, as well.
This Wi-Fi Upgrade Project Map(link is external) shows Wi-Fi upgrades that have been completed, outdoor access points, and highlights Wi-Fi areas where there is poor or obsolete coverage (opportunity for future upgrades, depending on funding).
To see the difference between the previous and current Wi-Fi design, view this before/after diagram(link is external) showing the improvements gained in Wi-Fi coverage for the Valley Life Sciences Building (VLSB)(link is external), one of the many upgrades we have completed.
