Illinois State University is in the process of upgrading to Wi-Fi 6E. The new wireless access point hardware is currently in a pilot stage in Julian Hall to give network engineers experience and to be able to troubleshoot any issues before rolling it out to the rest of campus.
Office of Technology Solutions Infrastructure, Operations, and Networking Network Manager Rachal Roach explains, “Wi-Fi 6E is the latest standard that includes use of the newly available 6GHz spectrum. The 6GHz spectrum offers more channels, less interference, and higher speeds.”
The pilot in Julian Hall marks the beginning of a multiyear, campus-wide network upgrade that includes all new wireless access points and a new backbone to support it. When completed, students and staff with Wi-Fi 6E capable devices may notice better performance in high-density areas, like lecture halls, where it will be especially beneficial. Students and staff without Wi-Fi 6E capable devices will still be able to connect to campus Wi-Fi as usual and can expect to see smaller, but meaningful, performance increases.
This comes after Illinois State University’s Board of Trustees approved a wireless upgrade for campus to stay up to date with Wi-Fi capabilities and hardware while accommodating increased network usage.
The Office of Technology Solutions believes any issues in the Julian Hall pilot were worked out over the summer. If students or staff experience any problems, please submit a service ticket.
