WiFi Infrastructure Replacement Begins Summer 2021

Lewis & Clark’s WiFi infrastructure has been funded for replacement during the 2021/22 fiscal year.

The number one priority for the IT Infrastructure and Operations team is to replace the residence hall WiFi infrastructure before CAS residents move in for the Fall 2021 term. This aligns IT with the College’s plans to enhance the student experience at Lewis & Clark. This plan is still on track but could be impacted by product limitations due to the global chip shortage.

The second priority is to replace the academic WiFi infrastructure. This includes academic spaces for the Grad, Law, and CAS campuses. Scheduling for this phase will work around the academic schedules to ensure that the classroom experience is not adversely impacted.

The third priority is to replace the WiFi infrastructure in administrative spaces.

Finally, some funding was allocated to accommodate WiFi services for the most popular outdoor spaces. This will be the final effort of the project.

About 450 wireless access points will be replaced with about 1,300 wireless access points. The majority of these devices will be installed in the residence halls.

A new WiFi infrastructure sounds fun and exciting but please keep in mind that WiFi as a technology is still subject to the limitations of the technology as well as the relationship between the device (i.e. your phone) and the Lewis & Clark WiFi infrastructure. This will not be the magic wand that makes everything better. If you are currently experiencing issues with the WiFi network, please contact the IT Service Desk. If you do not report problems then they cannot be fixed.

The IT Infrastructure and Operations group is excited to share more information about the WiFi infrastructure replacement with you in the near future. If you would like to read about the latest updates, please check out our WiFi Infrastructure Replacement project page. If you have any questions, please contact the IT Service Desk.