WLAN projects in Austrian schools

Datwyler’s WLAN products are in great demand, particularly from educational establishments, trade fair and conference organisers, hospitals, and in the office environment. In Austria some of the most important customers are schools.

Datwyler‘s comprehensive services featuring Xirrus Wi-Fi solutions, provided in conjunction with certified installation partners, start right at the planning stage. All the end customer has to do is decide the areas where he needs WLAN coverage and guarantee the on-site power supply. Among the things included in Datwyler’s optional service package are site surveys, on-site measurement and training courses. Organisers of trade fairs and conferences also have the option of renting a WLAN solution.

In Vienna and around the Austrian capital alone Datwyler’s WLAN solutions are already installed in a dozen or so public and private schools, most of them with well over 1000 users. Some employ mobile Wi-Fi arrays for their tablet classes and for Internet access. Others use WLAN to provide pupils with access to e-textbooks, learning platforms and video libraries. Examples of other applications are the replacement of textbooks by e-book readers, the control of building technology and the integration of whiteboards and info-screens into the wireless network.

One good example is the Federal Commercial College Wiener Neustadt. Last year the college installed a high-performance WLAN solution from Datwyler as part of a general refurbishment and extension project.

Once joint planning was complete Datwyler’s partner, Netzwerktechnik Traub GmbH, provided the school with expert support right through to start-up. Measurement prior to network installation ensured, among other things, that the data connections were positioned correctly. Traub then installed a total of 18 arrays, each of which have four internal access points (AP) and provide 450 Mbit/s per AP. The wireless network was measured completely before start-up.

Today the school benefits from a comprehensive high-performance wireless network infrastructure which facilitates modern teaching methods using tablets, smart phones and notebooks, and provides good availability and high signal quality even when a lot of users are logged on simultaneously – with a good price/performance ratio and significantly lower expenditure on cabling. In this respect the school is very satisfied that it opted for this system.

A special feature of the WLAN infrastructure, which is accessed by around 1,200 users, is that it is divided into different network areas including an administration area and separate areas for teachers and pupils.