Remember having to download the Cisco Clean Access Agent? Consider such Internet connection requirements things of the past. The new APUWIFI and network upgrades from Information and Media Technology have been works in progress for almost three years, and are finally here.
IMT has overhauled the majority of its wireless connection technology to make the process of getting online easier for students and faculty.
“The biggest thing was to have a secure connection without [having] anything to install and the ability to sign in once from your mobile and stay connected,” said Executive Director of Technology James Janssen.
The Wi-Fi upgrade now only requires logging into “APUWIFI” one time with APU Network Accounts. Additionally, it allows mobile phones to stay connected to Wi-Fi rather than having to reconnect.
There is also a new portal for self-registration of gaming and multimedia devices like Roku, Microsoft Xbox 360/One and Sony Playstation 3/4. Before, students had to bring these to IMT to get them registered on the network. Now, they can register them on mydevices.apu.edu, then connect to a special network called APU-MYDEVICES.
Students are now allowed to use their own anti-virus software on their computers instead of APU’s software, although it is still available for free.
This change is the largest one, along with added signal access points for wireless devices to access on campus. According to Chief Technology Officer Jeff Birch, there are now 600 access points—which are like radio signals—on campus that receive wireless signals. In addition, the modules now have ethernet connections in every unit instead of in every court.
The connectivity changes, as diverse as they have been, seem to be working, shown by fewer people needing help to connect.
“Normally during orientation weekend, we help about 500 students get online. This year, we had only 22 people stop by the tent,” Janssen said.
In addition to the Wi-Fi overhaul, bandwidth (or Internet speed) was also upgraded.
Janssen said: “We went from one 500 MB connection to two redundant 1 GB connections for the Azusa campus. … We more than doubled our bandwidth and have failover if one provider goes down.”
The connection speeds for different student living areas have also been increased. University Park, University Village, Bowles and Alosta Place now have an 800MB connection dedicated to those areas. In addition, there is a new network in the Shire Mods, with each mod having its own access point.
While these changes have improved connection rates, there can still be inconsistencies when there are a lot of devices trying to connect in a small space, like during major events.
Janssen and Director of IMT Engineering Cesar Higueros noted that they have had over 6,500 concurrent devices connected to the network at one time and it has run smoothly. The one exception is during chapel in Felix Event Center, when there are 600 devices trying to connect to two access points at one time. IMT is in the process of addressing this issue.
While convenience for students and faculty was the main concern for developers, safety was also another important factor.
“One of our goals was to encrypt the security of the signal from [the students’] devices all the way through its destination to the point where we hand off the signal to the Internet,” Birch said. “We had some internal gaps in that before.”
Even though devices are safe while connecting to the Internet, they are not safe once they reach the Internet. This means that students must be careful when visiting websites, which is where antivirus software would be a safety tool. Students can also protect themselves by putting passcodes on their phones so that they cannot be accessed if they are stolen.
Although IMT’s primary function is to keep on-campus technology working, the department is also concerned with providing customer service.
Student IMT worker and Lead Lab Technician Clarissa Foster noted that her job is focused on helping students and faculty get the most out of the available technology.
“Our job is mainly focused on customer service,” said Foster.
IMT has but a few main channels for students to voice grievances and suggestions. Through its renovated support portal support.apu.edu, phone calls to the IMT Support Desk, annual online surveys and student services field technicians, workers welcome feedback that will help them improve on-campus technologies.