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
Questions
ENA Service and Solutions Benefits
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 people and passion for customer service combined with our exceptional deployment and support performance that differentiate us.

4. 6000 sites across America
One out of every 16 public school students is served by ENA solutions

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

7. The Digital SHIFT in Education
Learner-centric
The Digital SHIFT in 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
The Digital shift is creating shifts in the classroom for the learner and the educator.
Leave slide up but focus on the Personalize and on demand application
Personalized
One-size-fits-all
Collaborative
Independent
Lifelong learning
School learning

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

9. Andrew von Nagy, Mobility Architect
Panelist
Andrew von Nagy, Mobility Architect

10. 7 Wi-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 Design Myths 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 worse RF performance (overhead, mobile clients)
Wave 2 APs improve airtime efficiency, not peak throughput
Do you have a use-case for a single client 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 Reducing Latency Latency determines WLAN performance!
Keep Clients at Higher RSSI & SNR
Higher Data Rate (MCS Rate)
Less Airtime Consumption
Higher Aggregate Capacity
Improves client airtime 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. Reducing Latency 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 can prevent 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
Reality
Takeaway
802.11ac Wave 2 APs are Gigabit Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi cannot push Gigabit throughput.
Focus on density handling instead of peak speeds
Peak throughput determines WLAN performance.
Latency determines WLAN performance.
Throughput is highly variable on Wi-Fi networks. Focus on reliability and user experience.
Wider channels are required for capacity.
Wider channels increase interference and reduce performance in most situations.
Have an experienced Wi-Fi engineer design the WLAN to ensure minimal interference.
Just add APs for more capacity! It is easy.
A proper Wi-Fi design should ALWAYS be performed.
RF design and validation can prevent underlying issues.
Anyone can design Wi-Fi.
An experienced Wi-Fi engineer should design WLANs!
Find and keep a trusted partner.

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.
Wi-Fi has become critical to business processes and outcomes.
LOB managers are increasingly directly vested in the success of the WLAN because it is directly tied to their department success.
Where IT used to be an expense center, it is increasingly becoming a business enabler.
LOB managers will increasingly be key decision makers in IT projects and budget spending.
Where IT spend used to be hard to show positive ROI, when integrated into LOB projects the spend is quickly dwarfed by the business value it brings.
Conversations and building relationships with LOB peers and management are key to delivering operational WLAN success. It is also a good career move!

29. Building a Digital Environment
Internet Access
Security
Routing Layer
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 that exceed our customers’ expectations.

37. Q & A
Andrew von Nagy 37