Wireless networks installed on parts of campus

UNM computer users are becoming unplugged.

Students using laptops at Zimmerman Library, the CIRT building and the SUB can immediately be connected to the Internet through a wireless technology system.

The increasing popularity of wireless technology has created a demand for the networks at UNM, said Aaron Baca, technical support analyst at Computer and Information Resources and Technology.

But, due to the high cost of installing CIRT-supported networks, not all buildings on campus have the technology, said Art St. George, manager of advanced communication technologies at CIRT.

The networks operate by installing wired hardware that has wireless access points mostly on the ceilings and walls of buildings. The CIRT building has the wireless technology because it serves as a guinea pig for all new technology implemented at UNM. During the SUB's renovation, a wireless network was set up and has 18 access points. Zimmerman Library's network was set up in December and has 11 access points.

Zimmerman Library also has a laptop rental program that complements the wireless network, Baca said.

"It is a very popular service," said Nancy Dennis, assistant dean of Collections & Technology Services in Zimmerman Library. "What I'm hearing from folks at the circulation desk is that most people that use the laptops in Zimmerman because they are wireless."

Each access point comes with a price tag of about $600, said Chris Landgraf, CIRT network engineer. Under ideal conditions, meaning the structure of the building is not resisting the signal, wireless can be accessed at a range of 100 or more through each point, he said. On average, 20 people can connect to each access point.

"The goal is to have a campuswide wireless network, but it's too expensive," St. George said.

He said wireless technology would save CIRT money in the long run, because the access points are inconspicuous, whereas wired connections are often kicked off the walls.

"The wireless network is not a substitute for wired technology," St. George said. "It is a convenience."

Connecting to the wireless network is not as easy as having a laptop equipped with wireless technology. To use the campus networks, users need to also have their laptop registered with CIRT and obtain a media access control address.

While personal networks are not as expensive, the use of them on campus is discouraged for security reasons.

CIRT maintains the right to extract any wireless device from campus that violates security standards for the equipment, according to its Web site.

"We know and understand the systems we install," Baca said, adding that nonapproved network systems are more susceptible to viruses.

"You have to see this as a stopping point in the endless progression of technology," St. George said.

To make the wireless system work, CIRT has used standards from Cisco, a company that provides wireless equipment. Baca said CIRT has tested several wireless cards, but nearly any 802.11b card should work. CIRT has switched to the 802.11g, which is backward compatible with the 802.11b. When problems arise that CIRT cannot solve, network users can contact Cisco.

CIRT plans to install wireless technology in areas where large amounts of people gather including the Centennial Science & Engineering Library, the Fine Arts Library, in and around the Parish Memorial Business and Economics Library and around the Duck Pond.