Campus networks have changed
There is no doubt that the COVID pandemic has drastically changed the world in which we live and with it, the working practices that were once the norm.
Pre-Covid, most office workers attended their offices 90% of the time and consequently office networks were designed to fulfill that requirement – for example, users required at least two network connections for their fixed desktop and telephone.
The post-COVID world of hybrid working and an increased need to support easy collaboration has made the modern campus network almost completely wireless-centric, allowing staff to move and work anywhere in the office.
The number of network switches needed for an office has dropped significantly now that they are primarily used to connect wireless access points and the occasional wired device, like a printer or MFD.
Obviously, the quality of the wireless network is now very important, but how do you know how good your wireless coverage is? Check out our RF Survey and Wireless Design Audit for more information.
Challenges of Delivering a Campus Network
Security
A campus network may be vulnerable to security threats, such as unauthorized access, data breaches, and cyber-attacks.
It is crucial to implement strong security measures such as network access control and policy enforcement to enable endpoint control and protect the network and its users.
Interoperability
A campus network may include a variety of wired and wireless devices and technologies, various operating systems, and applications.
Ensuring interoperability and compatibility among these devices and technologies can be very challenging.
Availability
The network is absolutely fundamental to connecting your users to their apps and services.
Network outages, whether they be catastrophic failures, or degraded performance due to failed access points, impact your staff’s ability to work.
Value
The investment in a new campus or office network is generally significant, so getting the design right is vital.
Ensuring the design delivers the performance, connectivity and value the business requires both now and for its lifetime is vital.
Shifting Markets
The campus wired and wireless network market has changed over the last few years, moving from separate wired and wireless networks to more integrated networks.
Decisons around on-prem managed vs cloud-managed networks (for example, Meraki), and even vendor selection further complicates matters.
Scalability
A campus network must be scalable to accommodate the growth of users and devices.
As the number of users and devices increases, the network, whether it be the wireless or wired component, must be able to handle the traffic and provide the necessary bandwidth and performance.
Visibility
Your network should work quietly in the background, but the problem is that for most company’s, the first indication of a problem usually comes from staff complaints.
A lack of visibility leaves an IT department in the dark, constantly having to react to perceived poor performance.
Our approach to campus networks
We look at the campus network holistically, combining the wireless and wired network elements to provide a solution that meets the needs of modern working approaches. We focus on delivering an effective network that will provide the level of performance, flexibility and security required to keep people working effectively for the lifetime of the solution.
Being very familiar with vendors such as Cisco, Meraki and Aruba, we always take into account current technology trends to ensure the solution is correct, making sure the network is manageable and supportable and aligns with our client’s business requirements
We focus on designing and building networks that are able to self-heal via resilient measures, allowing business to continue in the event of a failure
Finally, we make sure that the networks we build are supportable and manageable, ensuring they integrate with our customer’s management platforms as standard.
Did you know? We can monitor, maintain and proactively secure your wired or wireless campus network with a tailored Managed Service. Learn more here.
