WWU to get major network insfrastructure upgrades

Western Today staff

October 28, 2010

Telecommunications Services at Western Washington University will be implementing a project to replace all network devices in the academic and administrative buildings at main campus, 32nd Street and Shannon Point Marine Center. The work on this Network Infrastructure and Switches project will be done between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. beginning Nov. 15 and finishing May 15, 2011. This work will interrupt network services during these hours in the buildings under construction.

In a message sent to campus Thursday morning, Oct. 28, Telecom desribed the work:

In brief, this capital funded project involves replacing the current and outdated network devices installed in 2000 and replaces them with upgraded devices. In addition, this project provides for an order of magnitude greater network bandwidth and speeds from the network core to the desktop. The new equipment also better prepares the network for future expanded Wi-Fi services and voice over IP telephony (VoIP).

Typically, the work will involve all or part of one building (or multiple small buildings) during one night, interrupting network services at 7 p.m. with all services available again after 6 a.m. the next morning. An exact schedule for each building has not yet been determined. No work is scheduled for dead week and finals week in December 2010 and March 2011. The list of buildings that will be affected are as follows (in alphabetical order, not in sequence of construction):

  • Academic Instructional Center
  • Administrative Services Center
  • Alumni House
  • Arntzen Hall
  • Art Annex
  • Biology Building
  • Biology Greenhouse
  • Bond Hall
  • Campus Services
  • Canada House
  • Carver Gym
  • Chemistry Building
  • College Hall
  • Commissary
  • Communications Facility
  • Environmental Studies Center
  • Engineering Technology
  • Fairhaven Academic (3rd Fl.)
  • Fine Arts
  • Haggard Hall
  • Humanities (Fraser Hall)
  • Miller Hall
  • Old Main
  • Performing Arts Center
  • Parks Hall
  • Physical Plant (Marshaling Yard)
  • Shannon Point Marine Center
  • Science Lecture
  • Steam Plant
  • Wilson Library

As the NIS project schedule becomes more defined, Telecom will issue timed notices aimed at the affected building occupants. Signs will be posted at the respective building entrances to remind users of the network interruptions.

For faculty and staff who have evening classes, special projects or other activities planned where network interruptions may be of concern, please contact the NIS project management group by email at grp.NIS@wwu.edu or by telephone at (360) 650-3600 to discuss special scheduling requirements.

Thank you for your patience.