IST Students Design Wireless Network

by Margaret Hopkins

Employees and guests of the Capital Area Intermediate Unit (CAIU) in Harrisburg may soon have easier access to the Internet, thanks to a team of students in the School of Information Sciences and Technology (IST). The five student-consultants enrolled in IST 497D were challenged to design a wireless local area network for CAIU's administrative offices on Miller Street as well as a wireless solution to connect that building with two others. At semester's end, the students had a network plan that also addressed security concerns and identified possible vendors. "The students researched the best technology by looking at different standards for wireless and taught me a great deal about the newer wireless technologies," said Carl Heininger, CAIU network administrator. "We hope to move forward with this project, and while it may not be exactly what the students proposed, we will use a lot of what they have given us." The project evolved from a meeting between Kathy Brautigam, the unit's director of technology, and Brian Cameron, instructor of IST 497D. Initially, the students were to work on a wide area network that would have linked the intermediate unit with many of the school districts in the four-county area served by CAIU. When that was postponed because of funding issues, the wireless project surfaced. The design and implementation of the wireless infrastructure had already been a part of the CAIU technology plan. "But we didn't have the time to research, plan and implement that while we were implementing a new SAN solution as well as upgrading security devices in our network," Heininger said. "With the help of this IST team, we can now move forward." Heininger estimated that weekly, the intermediate unit has several hundred mobile employees and guests who need access to the Internet. The students' assignment: To design a wireless network that could be integrated into the unit's current network. Researching for the best technology was only part of what the students learned through the 15 week semester. "We had to manage deadlines, deal with vendors, learn how to communicate with our client - it was a lot more than just the technical information," said Michael Bruckart, the project manager and May graduate who will be working as a software engineer for Mellon Financial. Dave Derewitz, also a member of the Class of '03, said the experience of working with customers and vendors provided "real-world experience" for his position as a systems analyst with Deloitte Consulting. Structuring a student project for remote consulting also was new for Heininger and Cameron, but both saw value in it. With more and more companies leaning toward remote work, projects such as these prepare students for industry positions, Cameron said. "These projects demonstrate real problem-based learning as the team has to come together to understand a complex problem, investigate potential solutions, and then present and justify recommendations to a client - all while collecting information and working with the client virtually," Cameron said. And as for the students' original project? Heininger anticipates the unit will go forward with it, and IST may play a role. "Yes, there is a possibility for including IST students in the regional WAN project," Heininger said. "It's nice to have access to a variety of skills and perspectives in a project of this magnitude, and the students help provide that."