The Myths and Realities of Wi-Fi in Schools and Libraries

1. The Myths and Realities of Wi-Fi in Schools and Libraries March 16, 2016 Andrew von Nagy, Mobility Architect

2. Our Agenda Today… Introduction Meet ENA The Value of Proper Wi-Fi Myths vs. Realities of Today’s Wi-Fi ENA Service and Solutions Benefits Questions Questions 2

3. The ENA Experience… ENA provides the managed Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) solutions that schools and libraries critically require to drive student achievement, operational efficiencies, and future capabilities. But it’s not just ENA’s products that are so dynamic, it’s also our peopleand passion for customer service combined with our exceptional deployment and support performance that differentiate us.

5. Large Scale Wi-Fi/LAN Contracts Large Scale LAN/Wi-Fi Contracts

7. Learner-centric The Digital SHIFTin Education Teacher-driven Interactive One-way instruction Skills-centric Knowledge only Process-oriented Content-oriented Problem-solving & question-asking Learning facts & figures Practical Application Theory On-demand Time-specific Personalized One-size-fits-all Collaborative Independent Lifelong learning School learning

8. Custom Design Reliable and scalable managed Wi-Fi offering both coverage and capacity!

9. Panelist Andrew von Nagy, Mobility Architect

10. 7Wi-Fi Challenges Facing K-12 Schools and Libraries • Rapidly changing Wi-Fi technology makes it very difficult to effectively manage and maintain the network • Constrained resources and budget • Spotty and unreliable Wi-Fi service does not meet coverage demands • Increasingly high demands from mobile devices, BYOD or (1:1, 2:1) programs • Lack of an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) solution • Piece-meal Wi-Fi networks • Lack of visibility into the Wi-Fi network

11. Poll Question 1 What is the most significant Wi-Fi challenge your school or library experiences? • Difficult to keep up with new technologies • Capacity and/or coverage issues • Lack of resources and/or budget to maintain or grow network • Increased demand from BYOD, 1:1, and mobile devices • All of the above • Other

12. The Value of Proper Wi-Fi DesignMyths vs. Realities • 802.11ac Wave 2 APs are “Gigabit Wi-Fi” • Peak Throughput Determines Performance • Wider Channels Increase Capacity • Just Add APs for Capacity • Wi-Fi Design is Easy

13. Myth #1 “802.11ac Wave 2 APs are Gigabit Wi-Fi”

14. Reality #1 Wi-Fi cannot push Gigabit throughput “Gigabit Wi-Fi” Realities: • Marketing focuses on data rates • Existing APs can’t push Gigabit • RF is still the bottleneck (contention) • High-density environments have worseRF performance (overhead, mobile clients) • Wave 2 APs improve airtime efficiency,not peak throughput • Do you have a use-case for a singleclient pushing Gigabit throughput? Takeaway: Focus on density handling instead of peak speeds

15. 802.11ac Performance Reality

16. Myth #2 “Peak throughput determines WLAN performance” False Premises: • Buy the vendor with the highest tested throughput • Use the widest channel width possible • Focus exclusively on AP capabilities, ignoring clients

17. Reality #2 ReducingLatency Latency determines WLAN performance! Keep Clients at Higher RSSI & SNR • Higher Data Rate (MCS Rate) • Less Airtime Consumption • Higher Aggregate Capacity Improves clientairtime efficiency Consume less airtime for same throughput Support more throughput per client or more clients 802.11ac has better receiver sensitivity MCS 0-1 MCS 2-3 MCS 4-5 MCS 6-7 Takeaway: Throughput is highly variable on Wi-Fi networks. Focus on reliability and user experience instead

18. ReducingLatency Segment clients into different collision domains • Determine per-client performance SLAs • Have a target client to AP ratio based on SLAs Reduces contention Reduces time to acquire medium and transmit Increases airtime available to each client

19. Myth #3“Wider channels are required for capacity” Frequency or Spatial separation are the ONLY ways to separate Wi-Fi collision domains!

20. Reality #3 Wider channels increase interference and reduce performance in most situations Wider Channel Realities: • Fewer channels, more interference • Worse RF signal quality (higher noise floor) • Worse RF impact to neighboring APs • Many clients still don’t support wider channels Takeaway: Have an experienced Wi-Fi engineer design the WLAN to ensure minimal interference

21. Myth #4 “Just add APs for more capacity! It’s easy.” How hard could this be? Everywhere users complain, just add more APs to improve performance. Put one here, and there, there, and there… just throw them everywhere!

22. Reality #4 A proper Wi-Fi design should ALWAYS be performed Capacity is driven by two main factors: • Frequency re-use • Available airtime “Just adding APs” exacerbates issues with both factors! Takeaway: RF design and validation canprevent underlying issues.

23. Wi-Fi Design Objectives • Coverage quality (RSSI/SNR) • Coverage overlap (mobility/roaming) • Colocate APs to meet capacity needs • Minimize contention (interference)

24. RF Validation Is Key! Validate network operation matches design! Identify deviations, calibrate model, and learn!

25. Myth #5 “Anyone can design Wi-Fi because…” • The predictive modeling auto-places APs and optimizes channel plans • The product automatically adjusts for optimal performance “self-healing” • It’s just like my home Wi-Fi, which is easy Evaluate the vendor/integrator AS MUCH – if not more than – the Wi-Fi product manufacturer!

26. Reality #5 An experienced Wi-Fi engineer should design WLANs! Evaluate vendors and integrators on the rigor of their WLAN design, installation, and validation process. • Take time to listen and understand criteria for success (technical and business, specifically in your industry) • Experienced and skilled staff • Up-front assessment and site visit • Thorough design using professional tools • Identify over-reliance on product marketing (e.g. product features handle it so we don’t design) • Post-install validation and tuning • Documentation and training Takeaway: Find and keep a trusted partner!

27. Myths and Realities Summary

28. K-12 Education and Library Focus “Fortune favors the prepared mind.”– Louis Pasteur ENA is focused on understanding the goals and success criteria that enable great outcomes: • Engaging key stakeholders and fostering discussion • Digital classroom instruction requirements • Applications that rely on the WLAN, and what success means for those applications Success is measured by perception! Teachers and patrons must have confidence in the solution to rely on it.

29. Routing Layer Internet Access Security Building a Digital Environment Switch Layer Switch Layer Wi-Fi Layer Wi-Fi Layer

30. Implementation and Deployment • Complete installation and implementation • Install APs, cabling, and switching devices • Activate and test Wi-Fi solution • Provides heat map • Test and activate • Ensures capacity and coverage needs Your IT team can now shift their focus to integrating learning initiatives instead of fixing problems.

31. ENA Air Aggregate Reporting District School

32. It takes more than good equipment to create a robust and reliable Wi-Fi network! • 24x7x365 proactive monitoring • Software management • Wi-Fi Engineering expertise • Project management • Maintenance • Ongoing dedicated support ENA Air provides a managed Wi-Fi service that will meet or exceed your users’ needs.

33. ENA Professional Services: Wi-Fi/LAN

34. Delivering Best-in-Class Infrastructure as a Service Solutions

36. ENA It’s the People ENA’s passion for education and libraries starts with our employees.We strive to deliver services thatexceed our customers’ expectations.

37. Q & A Andrew von Nagy avonnagy@ena.com 37