The Wireless LAN Project in University of Calabar - Nigeria

MAIN OBJECTIVE

The primary objective was to provide network connectivity to all segments of the university community of over 50,000.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Unical WLAN project started in 1999 to replace the dial-up based wired network. Unical occupies over 7 sq. km with faculties and institutes spreading over 3 sq. km. Initial plan was each faculty’s LAN to link to the backbone via a fibre optic cable – to run FDDI network technology. Fibre optic cables were laid, but not completed because of technical & funding problems.

The current wireless network uses a VSAT as the Base Station at university's computer centre. The propsed number of Access points in the first phase of implementation is 25 APs. Currently we have eleven remote sites (APs), running about 240 PCs in the university. We hope to extend connectivity to staff quarters to facilitate research.

DETAILED TERRAIN OF THE PROJECT

For the purpose of implementation, the university was divided in two sections: MAIN CAMPUS and NEW LIBRARY. Over 70% of academic activities take place in the New Library, while most of the principal officers have their offices in Main Campus. The topography slopes almost uniformly from Main Campus to Library with over 2 meters diffrence above sea level between them. The sloppy terrain and the tall trees in the school sometimes posed interconnectivity problems. However, about 70% of the project is completed, with over eleven remote sites up.

ISSUES EXPECTED TO BE DISCUSSED DURING TRAINING

• WLAN assume that all who access it are trusted users, besides the fact that transmission may be monitored. How can this be handled?
• How to monitor network access in the university, especially with the expected high user community?
• Server configurations using Linux, to prevent the servers in each remote site from virus, etc.
• How to handle the problem of interference should it occur.
• How do we really handle bandwidth management?