I've tried to initiate some discussion here on our campuses of when on-campus use of cell phones configured as hotspots might be appropriate, without getting any interest from ANY constituency. I've had to fall back on reasoning like the following:
A. 2.4GHz only allows three non-overlapping channels in any coverage area. B. Our Acceptable Use Policy for use of "computers and communications equipment" on campus prohibits use that interferes with officially provided services, which would seem to include the campus wifi network. C. Therefore, cell phones configured as hotspots, like computers sharing their network connection via wifi, are rogues in violation of campus policy. So far, to my knowledge, our campus police have not pressed this issue, although they have a poor (by my criterion) track record of assuming they're exempt from campus policies.... Good luck! David Gillett CISSP CCNP From: Watters, John [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, August 20, 2013 7:36 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [WIRELESS-LAN] Questions About Police Use of Mobile WiFi Our University police department is trying to use two devices that are giving us a lot of grief. I am hoping that some of you will have experience with either or both of these and can help me either (1) make them work in a way that does not kill our campus network, or (2) convince them that there is a better way to do what they want to do. The first thing they want to do is have the offices carry around a Verizon cell phone set up as a WiFi hotspot so they will have access to the outside world for their laptops when out of range of any University WiFi signal. I think the main use of this if for emergency responders in case of a tornado, etc. But, they want to be able to test them at any time in any place. The second thing they want to do is install a CalAmp Fusion Multi-Network LTE Router in each patrol car. This unit seems to have multiple wireless protocols available to it including LTE bands running at 700 MHz, 1700 MHz, & 2100 MHz plus CDMA bands running at 800 MHz plus WiFi running at 2.4 GHz only. The point of this box seems to be to allow Internet communications with the officers' laptops via WiFi when they have them outside of the car. It appears that neither the Verizon hotspot nor the CalAmp LTE router can use the 5 GHz band. We are a Cisco shop with our wireless infrastructure under the control of WiSM2 controllers. We run rogue AP containment. Right now we are containing the hotspots & the CalAmp boxes as best we can. We can certainly white-list these devices by MAC address or by SSID (I prefer MAC address). But, what I worry about is the controllers chasing these rogues around campus (remember, they both move a lot) and never really setting up the APs in the locations where the devices are currently sitting to allow them to run. If I remember correctly, the controller adjusts the frequencies of adjacent APs under its control to avoid the white-listed devices only when they are seen but not all the time. I worry that by the time they are seen and the APs are adjusted to avoid them, the devices will have moved on to another area and we have just killed 1/3 of our 2.4 GHz bandwidth in an area when the devices have now left the area and these devices are now causing problems in another place. It does appear that I can control the frequency used by the CalAmp device. Not sure yet about whatever device they are using for the Verizon hotspot. Has anyone had problems with setups such as these and what did you do to resolve them? Thanks. -jcw [cid:[email protected]] John Watters The University of Alabama Office of Information Technology 205-348-3992 ********** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/. ********** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/.
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