Campus Network Design Best Practices Business
Campus network design best practices,Author: Katie McNeil,By 2025, students entering college campuses will be mobile natives—that is, born after the . The modern learning experience takes advantage of technology such as and . These not only provide immersive learning opportunities but can also help expand how programs can be delivered. The importance of campus network design,However, new technologies may only have a limited impact if the network infrastructure isn't properly designed to handle modern higher education network and security requirements. Pandemic remote learning to the limit. Institutions are more dependent on tech than ever, but tightening budgets can limit their capacity to modernize. Supporting the digital backbone of a modern campus takes resources and skills that might be in short supply. For example, the median IT department is $1,316 according to Educause. In one survey of university IT professionals, and universities during the 2020-21 school year and the median IT budget decrease was 10%. Recent years have shown the value of having a and evolve to meet the ongoing needs of students and staff. A smart campus network can strategically leverage new technology and robust network infrastructure to enhance collaboration, provide meaningful learning experiences and enhance campus safety. Campus network design best practices,There's no one-size-fits-all campus network design, but the following best practices can help ensure your campus is smart, fast and secure. Segmented networks,Colleges serve a staggering number of user endpoints. One university estimated it had , while a separate report by Educause found . To address the need for security and efficiency, university IT departments should consider a segmented campus network design. Segmented networks run on the same physical infrastructure but are logically separated by using logical or physical switches at the network edge. These switches allow the campus IT department to separate devices into virtual local area networks (VLANs) by the type of user—student, staff, faculty or guest. Connect with campus area networks,Many university IT departments connect students, faculty and staff to the internet with a (CAN). These networks cover a limited geographical area (in contrast to metropolitan or wide area networks) and connect buildings and departments by connecting multiple local area networks (LAN). Because all data is self-contained within the network, users experience minimal latency when accessing content. Distributed networks for minimal latency,For uninterrupted learning, the campus network design should be distributed for minimal latency. In addition to using a CAN for interdepartmental connection, —infrastructure near end-user locations—minimizes the distance data needs to travel and reduces latency. Another way to minimize latency is using a content delivery network (CDN) placed in strategic locations close to end users and their devices. Content is cached in CDNs so that data packets don't need to travel from the original server. This is best for content that is delivered to many end users, as expected with streaming media applications. Provision of bandwidth on demand,Remotely configuring higher bandwidth can help university IT departments stay nimble as needs change. For example, if a department requires a high-speed connection for a data-intensive research project, that network segment can be virtually deprovisioned when the project ends. With the right core fiber networks and software to control resources, what used to take months to deploy can now take minutes. Ensure your university IT department budget assumes increasing bandwidth needs. The Federal Communications Commission estimates over the next four years. The role of security in university IT,Of the top 10 issues facing college IT departments, . What offers students and faculty more flexibility—hybrid learning on multiple devices—offers cyber criminals multiple openings to infiltrate. The Verizon 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report found the education sector . The report notes external actors with financial motives are largely responsible. Enhance your cyber security,Mitigating your security risks means strengthening, securing and modernizing your network infrastructure. When considering your campus network design, some elements to consider include, for example, the enhanced security benefits of (VLANs). Firewalls can limit traffic flow between VLANs of differing security levels. Three layers of firewalls—perimeter, network and host—can ensure separation and high security between subnetworks. Endpoint security,can mitigate endpoint risk by streamlining how you manage mobility and protect data using a single management portal. IT administrators should require personal devices to register on these solutions to access the network. Restricted data on mobile devices—whether campus-owned or personal— should be encrypted using approved encryption techniques and password protected. should be registered to allow university IT staff to lock or wipe data if the device is lost or stolen. Benefitting from the cloud,From students' personal information to sensitive research study data, universities generate and store a staggering amount of data, much of it sensitive. allows universities to store data on the internet rather than bulky on-site servers and to scale operations and rent processing power without the need for infrastructure on standby. The pandemic reinforced the benefit of the cloud. Universities that embraced cloud computing pre-pandemic had a much . The cost savings (both resources, time and money) and ability to scale operations quickly make cloud computing an efficient solution for budget-conscious university IT departments. Similarly, many universities saw performance and security benefits from . Verizon is a trusted higher education partner with the experience and breadth to support higher education:,Learn more about how you can with help from Verizon's technology solutions. 5G Ultra Wideband available in select areas. If you'd like to receive new articles, solutions briefs, whitepapers and more—just let us know. Choose your country to view contact details. Manage your account or get tools and information. These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. 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