If wiring costs are the main issue, I'd go with wallplate APs on existing cabling (even if not 11ac- just n). To not provide Wi-Fi is pretty backwards at this point and to say "bring your own" with the expectation that your group will somehow support that is the stuff of nightmares for all parties.
Not sure how 4G helps in this case- bad assumption that all devices can use it. Also not understanding what "as a service" amounts to. The more gimmicky it gets, the worse the suck factor will be. -Lee Lee Badman Wireless/Network Architect ITS, Syracuse University 315.443.3003 (Blog: http://wirednot.wordpress.com) From: The EDUCAUSE Wireless Issues Constituent Group Listserv [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Brian Helman Sent: Friday, May 01, 2015 11:23 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [WIRELESS-LAN] To provide (wireless) service, or not to provide (wireless) service... A few weeks ago we made a pitch for funding to upgrade our res halls to 802.11ac. This request for funding has had an unforeseen effect. I'm not being asked to investigate NOT providing wireless networking in our res halls. Here are the options, as it has been described to me: -No institutional wireless. Let the students bring in their own AP's -Some kind of managed service (wireless as a service) with 802.11 -Some kind of institutionally owned/leased mobile wireless (e.g we provide our own 4G) -Hybrid -Continue with 802.11n 2.4GHz and fill in holes as they pop up I'm not going to put my thoughts up here just yet. These are the options/thoughts as presented by the levels above me. Let the discussion begin.... ____________________________________ Brian Helman, M.Ed | Director, ITS/Networking Services | *: 978.542.7272 Salem State University, 352 Lafayette St., Salem Massachusetts 01970 GPS: 42.502129, -70.894779 ********** 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/.
