Power problems
When the university recently moved out of the virtually derelict building, it was taken over on a two-year lease by Symbion, a biotech innovation project involving the Danish Government and a networking infrastructure included in the lease. However, providing a major networking solution was not viable because the short term lease meant the building would probably be vacated and torn down in two to three years and there was no effective cabling, just coaxial cables which was virtually non-functional. Another challenge was the weak power supply which would collapse if just one laptop computer was plugged in in each room.
Wireless networking was seen as the best solution and 5teUnIT’s IT consultants Infrateam set about constructing this using ProCurve Networking technology.
“Innovators don’t need plush buildings but they do need lots of space and very flexible IT solutions,” says Jeppe Degnbol, IT architect at Infrateam. “Ten small companies working together to collaborate on a project often need what a major company would have, so rather than each spending a bit of money on a pointless solution, we set about giving them one enterprise class solution that they could all use.
“It had to be a system that was easy to use. We also wanted to offer an affordable solution that would provide high performance and would enable a lot of people to co-work on the same network. ProCurve’s Adaptive EDGE Architecture™ was seen as the ideal solution and has made this possible.”
Performance at low cost
To keep costs down, Infrateam laid just one cable to each office and also installed a wireless local area network (WLAN) which could be centrally managed and would offer both a public WLAN providing Internet access for visitors as well as private WLANs for each company. The main chassis and controller is a ProCurve 5300xl switch equipped with a ProCurve Wireless Edge Services module (WESM). This enables ProCurve wireless access points to be put up thinly all over the building to see how much load will be on them, then more can be added if required – thus meeting demand while keeping down costs. Also added were 24 port Gigabit modules which enable the Internet connection to be terminated direct into the fibre and data to be transported direct into the server room.
To keep down costs, Infrateam also put up a ProCurve Switch 2608 Power over Ethernet (PoE) port to provide power straight to the radio points and ensure that the network would continue to run even in a power crisis.
With so many companies working closely together, wireless security was also an issue. Starting from the bottom up, Infrateam put in a default VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) with no authentication, running through a firewall with limited speed so visitors can jump straight onto the Internet with no configuration but cannot abuse the system.
Vital security
When companies sign a lease, they are given an individual account that they can punch into their network card. If you are a known user, you get connected to your company’s private SSID (Service Set Identifier) which gives you access to servers, applications and other resources. Those who need their own networks or firewall can also have a private network within the main network.
The big advantage is that companies can move in easily with no backbone switching and patching and can plug into their own network from anywhere.
Management is done centrally using ProCurve Manager Plus (PCM Plus), which manages the VLANs and Wireless Edge Services xl Module (WESM), and ProCurve Identity Driven Manager (IDM) which controls the identity of various companies and users, providing integration to the Microsoft Active Directory for user security.
“What makes ProCurve stand out in this case is its ease of use,” adds Degnbol. “It is ideal and has the correct Edge solution for this kind of scenario with lots of units and the need for low administration costs. We needed a highly flexible wireless network that was affordable and easy to upgrade, and that could also be upgraded by non-trained personnel.”
Objective
Install a powerful networking solution for more than 150 offices swiftly and affordably into an old building that has no cabling and a seriously inefficient power supply.
Approach
- A wireless network based on ProCurve Networking technology.
- ProCurve Wireless Edge Services Module for central management.
- Public WLAN for visitors and secure private WLANs for each tenant company.
IT improvements
- Central management.
- Flexible, affordable and quick to expand.
- Easy to use, even by nonprofessionals.
- Very high performance.
Business Benefits
- Easy and secure wireless access for users.
- Companies can move in with no backbone switching and patching and can plug into their own network from anywhere.
- Low administration costs.
- The ideal solution for an innovation centre of this kind.
- ProCurve wireless technology supports 5teUnIT’s 'smart' image.
About ProCurve Networking by HP
The ProCurve Networking business unit of HP is a supplier of enterprise networking solutions comprising wired and wireless networking products, services and solutions—including WAN routers, Ethernet switches, routing switches, wireless access points and network management applications—which allow customers to build networks based on open standards that meet current and future needs for security, performance and reliability.
The ProCurve Networking Adaptive EDGE Architecture is a unique design strategy that creates a secure, mobile, multi-service network by placing intelligence at the edge-where users connect and policies are enforced. This innovative approach creates a dynamic network infrastructure designed to keep up with advancing technology and user needs while protecting business investments.
What makes it work
Primary applications
- Networking services for high-tech innovators
Primary hardware
Primary software
For more information
When you are ready to explore the benefits a ProCurve Networking solution can offer you, call HP at 1-800-975-7682.
To learn more about ProCurve Networking's Adaptive EDGE Architecture™ solutions, visit our home page.
Purchase: HP business solutions, products, and supplies can be purchased at your local HP partner, or bought directly from HP either online or by calling 800-613-2222.
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