Upgrades Planned for Campus Wireless

Technology Services appreciates everyone’s patience as we’ve grappled in recent weeks with performance issues on the wireless network in many residence halls and in high-traffic areas such as Collins Memorial Library, Oppenheimer Café, and Wheelock Student Center (including Diversions Café). We’ve seen a rapid rise in the number of mobile devices on campus, including laptops, tablets, smart phones, printers, and game consoles, many of which are being used to access, download, or stream a wide variety of data that sometimes includes large media files. This trend, known as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), is not unique to Puget Sound, as universities all across the country are struggling to meet the ever-increasing demand on campuses for wireless access that is robust and fast.

To improve Puget Sound’s wireless coverage, Technology Services will take the following steps in coming weeks:

  1. We will upgrade access points in some residence halls and high-traffic areas on campus to “AC,” the very latest technology in wireless connectivity. This new hardware will allow more users to connect at one time than the older “N” and “G” access points previously allowed.
  2. In other areas, we will add more access points as needed to boost coverage.
  3. We will implement new software to identify and disable “rogue” access points and routers connected to the university network. Such devices greatly impair network service for everyone and are prohibited by the Network Use Policy.

Please contact the Technology Service Desk at servicedesk@pugetsound.edu or 253.879.8585 if you experience any issues with wireless or other technology on campus. We also welcome your feedback and questions!