Success Stories
Education Case Study: St. Columba's College, Dublin, Ireland
Analysis
The College has some of the finest buildings and largest grounds of any secondary school in Ireland. The school required to network their new and existing computers across the campus for academic staff and pupils. The installation of regular network cable was simply not an option as many of the buildings are over 200 years old with walls over three foot thick in places.
Development and Implementation
Ireland currently has few broadband options for Internet connectivity and VBNETS installed a two-way broadband satellite Internet system from Educom. This provides connectivity at speeds up to 2Mbps - the fastest available in any school in Ireland. Visitor Based Networks installed a large wireless network utilising the advanced Buffalo Airstation Pro line of 802.11b wireless equipment with 11mbps speeds. To distribute the network across the College a series of discreet antennas pick up the signal and repeat it across campus allowing for seamless roaming.
Data, files, email, Internet information, class reports, print documents, video, audio and general communications can travel across the network at high speed internally or via the satellite connection onto the Internet.
The Buffalo Airstation range was selected by Visitor Based Networks as it had the widest range of integrated parts required to complete such a complex network in buildings that are very challenging for wireless networks.
Data, files, email, Internet information, class reports, print documents, video, audio and general communications can travel across the network at high speed internally or via the satellite connection onto the Internet. It was also possible to link a number of the staff houses on site into the high-speed Internet satellite using the Buffalo high performance antennas and cards.
Evaluation
The network provides a very cost effective option for the College to enhance the quality of their staff and students academic experience.The staff can move from classroom to classroom with portable computers and maintain a constant connection with other staff and educational resources.
No cables are required which enables very quick set up of temporary computer facilities for staff and students. Data, files, email, Internet information, class reports, print documents, video, audio and general communications can travel across the network at high speed internally or via the satellite connection onto the Internet.
The Buffalo Airstation range was selected by Visitor Based Networks as it had the widest range of integrated parts required to complete such a complex network in buildings that are very challenging for wireless networks. Older computer equipment can now be utilised on the network by adding wireless cards or wireless USB units.
Design
The Science and IT departments worked together to specify a trial wireless network within the Science laboratories for staff to determine if the technology would scale across the campus. A simple network with 6 Toshiba laptops and a server operated well.
The school itself requires a system that:
- Is usable not only for student class work, but also for teacher and staff use.
- Is cost-effective
- Is highly-reliable
- Is easily maintained
- Inexpensive.
Commenting on the new wireless network, Dr. Dan Griffiths of St. Columba's says:
"This system allows the staff and students to really enjoy the benefits of IT in education rapidly and a low cost. We now have the flexibility to decide where and when we wish to teach IT and not be tethered to one IT room. The network is great value and Visitor Based Networks were very flexible in responding to our rapidly changing requirements during the project."
Equipment used included the Buffalo Airstation Pro access points, cables, pigtails, Pro Yagi Antennas, Pro Omni Antennas, Buffalo indoor omni, Buffalo indoor directional, Buffalo cards and USB units.
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