The Triangle

Issue date: 3/6/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Ian McDonald

Media Credit: Aaron Walizer

Though a portion of the DragonFly3 wireless equipment has yet to be deployed, Drexel is currently working with students to resolve problems with the wireless network in their laptops.

Since the 2008 launch of DragonFly3, Drexel University's newest, most secure, and fastest wireless Internet network to date, students have encountered difficulties connecting and staying connected. This leads many to question the effectiveness of the network itself and whether is being used to its fullest capabilities.

Ken Blackney, associate vice president of Core Technology Infrastructure, said there are currently close to 500 access points campus wide, and when the wireless equipment is fully deployed, there should be between 1,200 and 1,600.

However, Blackney added that issues students are having with DragonFly3 often have more to do with a student's wireless configurations and laptop design.

"Yes, DragonFly3 has higher security, but with that it has the higher burden of setting it up," Blackney said.

Configuration is an issue many Drexel students struggle with. Compared to previous versions of Dragonfly, DragonFly3 requires a user to go through a number of steps before it can be established on one's laptop as a useable wireless network. Recently, Drexel has released an updated configuration document at http://www.drexel.edu/dragonfly.

Blackney said today there is not a simpler way of setting up DragonFly3 but "tomorrow" he wants there to be.

Matt Nocifore, who works in networking and telecom at the Korman building, and Blackney both attribute aspects of this to conflicting software in notebook computers. Some students have taken note that at times, it feels like Apple computers more easily get wireless connection when compared to PCs.

"Whenever I need to get online, I need to either find an Ethernet cable or someone with a MacBook," Anand Kumar, freshman biology major living at Race Street Residence Hall, said.

Because PCs are sold with multiple preinstalled software for wireless management, the various software often "fight" with each other for control. This is usually not an issue for Apple computers as Apple makes its own operating system and hardware; as a result, Macintosh can make sure there is only one wireless management software attempting to get online.

To resolve this issue with respect to PCs, Drexel hopes to work with PC vendors in the future. In the mean time, Nocifore said, he wants people to come to the Korman help desk.

Blackney said a major contributor to the strength of a wireless signal once connected lies in the placement and number of antennas along with the type of wireless card. Though DragonFly3 can support up to 300 Mbps, if a laptop only has one antenna, it will only be able to support 150.

Furthermore, because Drexel is in an urban area, wireless networks will experience interference from other consumer products that run at a 2.4 GHz frequency. To solve this issue, DragonFly3 was designed to support a 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency; however, only computers with "dual band 802.11n" can support 5 GHz. Thus it is recommended that students buying new computers, buy ones with such capabilities.

Blackney said those that don't have this feature can still access the network, but the top bandwidth drops to 54 Mbps, just like the old DragonFly.

Within a couple of weeks, Drexel is going to open up Dragonfly, the original one, in buildings that currently have Dragonfly2 and DragonFly3. This way, students who have no access at all to either Dragonfly2 or DragonFly3 can use the original to get online.

The circumstances surrounding the Myers Building was an obstacle for Drexel to make wireless because the ceiling were simply too low for wireless equipment to be installed. However, after drilling and installing pipes, Drexel is in the process of adding access points and residents should be able to access Dragonfly2 and DragonFly3 in the future.

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