THIS PROJECT IS NOW COMPLETE

 

Background

Central IT Services are currently undertaking a campus-wide project to stabilise the network to provide greater short-term reliability. This is prior to a network replacement project due to start in or around 2010.

This is a major project for IT Services and the work has been requested and approved by the highest authorities within the university and, hence, is compulsory for all departments such as WBS. ISSU have been working with IT Services to try to minimise any disruption to WBS.

Effects

• Removal of the wired hotspot service that allows users to get network access for their personal computers. In places where this is heavily used (Student Lounge and Phase One) IT Services have agreed to fund a greatly improved wireless service. Existing wireless access points will not be affected.
• Most users will experience a short period of disruption while individual networks are changed. It is hoped that this can be kept to around 15 minutes and wherever possible work will be scheduled out of hours. With a project of this size however and with such a mobile population of users there are bound to be a few instances where staff are affected further. During the changeover period the Helpdesk staff will make every effort to resolve issues as quickly as we are able.
• Laptop users who are used to taking their machines to another University building (including another building within WBS) and being able to get a wired network connection will no longer be able to do so. If this is likely to cause problems with your work please contact us to discuss this. Such users will still be able to access wireless hotspots as now.
  

Timetable

• 12th March - WBS Teaching Centre printers - COMPLETE
• 13th March - Social Studies printers - COMPLETE
• 17th March - Social Studies computers - DELAYED UNTIL 24th (08.00) - COMPLETE
  
• 20th March - Scarman Road printers - COMPLETE
• 23rd March - WBS Teaching Centre computers - COMPLETE
• 24th March - Social Studies staff computers - COMPLETE
• 30th March - New wireless hotspots due in phase 1 and Student Lounge - COMPLETE
• 31st March - Scarman Road staff computers - COMPLETE
• 3rd April - Scarman Road student computers - COMPLETE
• Final WTC changeover to occur sometime w/c April 6th (should only involve a 5 min downtime). - COMPLETE
• Date tbc - Wired hotspots removed - COMPLETE