Tek-nology Solutions Provides Foundation with a Single Integrated Wireless Network Solution

Theme: Wireless Networking

Vendor: Aruba Networks

Location: Buckinghamshire

Company Background

Since 1999, Tek-nology Solutions has worked with a Philanthropic Foundation, actively involved with the management of a National Trust property. Central to the Foundation’s vision is the ongoing preservation, protection and improvement of this property for the benefit and enjoyment of the public.

The Challenge

The Foundation approached Tek-nology Solutions, as their IT partner, to introduce wireless networking across their multi-acre estate. Phase one of the project commenced with their research and archive centre.

The challenge was to introduce a WiFi solution into the building that met the needs of three different parties:

• The Foundation’s current network users
• Other organisations who are ‘tenants’ at the centre
• Visitors to the building

The Solution

Tek-nology Solutions recommended a smart, cost effective solution that simplified the manageability of three separate WiFi systems.  Aruba Network’s ‘Enterprise WiFi’ proposition offered a single approach to managing the multi-WiFi requirements, in addition to addressing the wider challenges associated with mobility and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). This solution provides a complete, fully featured wireless solution for business use with inbuilt security, resilience and scalability. As a leading provider of mobile access network solutions, Aruba Networks is positioned in Gartner’s ‘Leaders’ quadrant of its ‘Magic Quadrant for Wireless LAN Infrastructure (Global)’.

Phase two – extending the reach

Extending the reach of the Foundation’s WiFi into other buildings across the multi-acre site, including other single Access Point areas, involved increasing the number of Access Points from the initial 10 to 70+.  Tek-nology Solutions used scaled drawings, heat maps and a site survey, combined with discussions with the client, to determine the most appropriate locations to site these points.

“The Aruba WiFi network has proven extremely reliable to date. One of several advantages the system has to offer is that if one Aruba Network Access Point should fail, another one will take over.”

The Results

• Multiple parties gain WiFi access through the same set of Access Points plugged into one physical network.  This prevents the need to establish separate Access Points for each user group. 

• Network access control is supported through Aruba Network’s policy enforcement.  In authenticating the user, the policies relevant to that particular group apply, controlling and personalising access privileges to the Foundation’s network services.

• Identity-based security offers a granular and powerful security policy.

• Privileges are linked to a user’s context – who they are, where they are, the devices they are using, and how they are connected  – providing consistent, secure access to network resources.

• With such an expansive estate, the Foundation required 70 Access Points for its wireless network, managed by two mobility controllers (the second controller providing resilience and redundancy - typically, 64+ Access Points can be deployed before a mobility controller is recommended).  Centralised configuration delivers significant time savings as global changes to configure Access Points can be made across the network rather than at each individual Access Point.

• Aruba Network’s signature Adaptive Radio Management (ARM) automatically manages the WLANs radio bands in real-time to optimise the Foundation’s WiFi performance and mitigate radio interference.

• Bandwidth management ensures prioritisation of network traffic and enables bandwidth to be optimally utilised. The Foundation is able to prioritise data whether it is through an application or SSID – for example, credit card machines and CCTV.

• Aruba Network’s Mobile Edge Architecture allows the Foundation’s end users to seamlessly roam to different locations while maintaining secure and consistent access to all network resources. If one Access Point fails, the ones around ‘power up’ and take on the role of the failed one.

• The WiFi solution has enabled the CCTV devices, located around the estate, to be connected to the Foundation’s wireless network and then monitored from the security office using wired devices.

For clients that do not require the power and complexity of a controller-based WLAN, ‘Aruba Instant’ offers a controller-less architecture, enabling businesses to more rapidly deploy wireless networks.  A virtual controller is embedded into the access point, providing administrators with the majority of the features that are available on physical hardware controllers.

“From an end user perspective, the Foundation is now able to cater for its current network users, ‘tenants’ at the site, in addition to external visitors - whether it be business customers, clients, or partners.  Flexibility now enables visitors to work anywhere, whether that is outside on the restaurant terrace, or in a meeting room.”

In Summary

Tek-nology Solutions’ implementation of the Aruba Network wireless network solution has enabled the Foundation to consolidate three separate user groups’ requirements into a single integrated solution.

Reaping the benefits associated with Enterprise-grade WiFi, the Foundation is able to reduce the complexities of managing separate access policies, to provide capital and operational cost savings.