Essex Curriculum ICT Technical Support Partnership

Essex Schools, Children and Families Service working with Support Companies   Installing or extending wireless networks The computer workstations in your school are connected to the server and hence to the internet by cables or wireless technology. The cables are the backbone of your network and would normally connect the server to each of the fixed workstations and those linked to whiteboards. Wireless technology is used for mobile devices. Cables are always going to provide a much faster connection than wireless (often at least 10 times faster). The flow of data through the wireless access points depends on the wireless band used, number of access points, number of channels available and the design of the system. Careful planning, survey and network design is vital to an effective wireless network. Early wireless networks in schools used access points designed for the home market where only one ot two laptops would connect together. Schools with multiple laptops now need professional access points with a central management system to ensure the greatest speeds and efficiency of channel usage across the school. Your wireless network support partner can check your network and provide components to make the network run efficiently. ICT Team Support Partner School Research ‘What works well’ in schools and links with Becta and the main providers to ensure that advice is up-to-date.  Disseminate information through websites, the Helpline and Support partner meetings. The e-gfl purchasing portal lists a number of items that are appropiate for school use but wireless network items require careful installation and configuration and are best purchased and installed through your support partner. Be aware of the special requirements of schools especially in terms of login speeds and the need for multimedia traffic on the network. Give sound and cost effective advice when installing wireless technologies taking into account realistic usage scenarios. Schedule work to minimize interruption to normal school working. EnEnsure that all cabling and trunking to wireless devices is carefully installed and suited to the nature of the building. Ensure that all health and safety requirements are met. Seek advice from the ICT helpline before obtaining quotes from companies. Choose companies from the list of support partners that can provide wireless installation and configuration. Ensure that key workstations such as those connected to whiteboards have fast access to the server and internet.   Weigh up the speed advantage of cabled systems to wireless systems when planning changes to the network. Consider any issues that parents may have with wireless technology in the classroom. Ensure that quotes are offering similar levels of wireless access and that the provider can honour any guarantees of performance. Main menu