Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When will my building/school/department be replaced?

Due to Covid and the subsequent priority changes for the university, the plan has required constant rework to fit. The current schedule is available here and communications will be sent through existing IT communication channels.

Will the network replacement affect the halls of residence?

The network in the University owned student residencies was prioritised and has already been migrated.

I am a student in halls of residence and am having problems with the current network now. What should I do?

We're still addresing  a few remaining issues following the migration of the network, in the mean time the best way to report and improve your network  is visit the following website for steps to resolution. https://www.ed.ac.uk/information-services/help-consultancy/students-it-requirements-guidance-and-support

Do I need to do anything to prepare for the change?

Staff are working through planning and low level design (LLD) at the moment. Once LLD is complete, any changes to the local environment will be known but it is expected that ISG or local computing staff will handle any necessary changes.

All you need to do is take note of any communications advising of disruption or service outages and plan your time accordingly.

What disruption can I expect?

We are aiming to minimise any disruption through careful planning, out of hours work and coordination with local teams.

Will the Wi-Fi be improved?

Yes. The Wi-Fi is designed to provide better coverage, deliver a minimum connection speed and supports the latest standards to ensure it is future proofed.

How fast will the new network be?

Edge ports for devices will be 1Gbs

Uplinks from switch stacks will be 2 x 10Gbs (assuming the required fibre connectivity exists)

Uplinks from Distribution Routers will be multiple 40Gbs to the Core Routers

Core routers will connect to each other at 100Gbs (400Gbs mesh)

What Wi-Fi standards will be supported?

Wi-Fi Standard	Wi-Fi Name	Theoretical Maximum Speed
802.11ax	Wi-Fi 6	4.8Gbps**
802.11ac (Wave 2)	Wi-Fi 5	433 Mbps - 3.46Gps*
802.11n	Wi-Fi 4	600Mbps
802.11g	-	54Mbps

* Dependant in number of antennas

** Requires multi-gig connection

What will the Wi-Fi network be called?

We will continue to use eduroam as the default/recommended Wi-Fi network for all University students and staff.

What make is the new network?

The key components of the new network will be :

• Routers - HPE
• Edge Switches - HPE Aruba
• WiFi - HPE Aruba
• Firewall - Fortinet
• Management & Monitoring - HPE IMC and Aruba AirWave

I am a school Computing Officer / IT Staff member, is there anything I need to do?

We are working through low level design at the moment, once that is complete we will be able to advise any changes that may be required as the new network rolls out.

I need a faster connection for my project, what options are available?

The solution has been designed with flexibility in mind and the need for some fast connections for edge devices to support high speed data transfer. Within the solution there are a number of 10GbE ports available for edge devices and a number of modular switches have also been included across the network that support easy expansion through the addition of extra 10GbE ports.

Will this affect my desk phone?

During the main switch over of the core technologies there may be some disruption to phone and other services but this will be done at a time outside normal working hours and well advertised in advance. When the local network in a building is replaced then local devices will lose service while their local cabinet is replaced.

My computer is connected to my phone, will this still work after the network replacement?

Yes, your computer will still work but depending on the age of the phone you may be limited to 100Mb rather than a 1Gb connection. To benefit from the new network you need to either connect directly to a network socket or ensure your phone is 1Gb capable.

My computer/phone/printer is connected via a mini hub/switch, will this still work after the network replacement?

Yes but you may not benefit from the full capabilities of the new network.

Who will pay for the upgrade?

A central capital bid was made and agreed by The University to cover the cost of the equipment, licenses and services to install the new network.

What happens to the old network equipment?

A large portion of the equipment is at the end of manufacturer support and no longer receives any updates so is of no practical value, this will be disposed as per the university WEEE  policy.  Any equipment that is still under support will either be used as spares for the areas not yet upgraded, or considered for re-sale.

I don't have enough network ports in my office.

This project covers the replacement of the network equipment - switching, routing, firewall and wireless access points. There is no budget to install new cabling, this should be funded through local budget or as part of the Estates refurbishment program.

 

What are the Distribution Routers and the abbreviations?

The Distibution Routers are 16 key points where the network is split from (like a spiders web). These key points direct network traffic from the end user device back to the core network.  They are often referred to as DRT's. Each DRT has its own ID code which engineers use to name them. They are as follows.

 

How do I get support?

The IS Helpline is the default route for all support requests.