Werneth School turns to Ruckus for Wi-Fi with wire-like reliability

New network provides wireless coverage with separate secure networks for staff and pupils

SUNNYVALE, CA – June 1, 2009 – Ruckus Wireless™, a Wi-Fi technology pioneer in the enterprise wireless LAN (WLAN) market, today announced that Werneth School in Stockport has standardized on Ruckus Wireless Smart Wi-Fi technology to provide reliable wireless coverage throughout the whole school. The Ruckus ZoneFlex WLAN will enable all teachers and pupils using laptops to connect to the network via a Wi-Fi connection, and will scale to support the growing number of mobile devices being used within the school. The solution was provided by Ruckus Big Dog Partner, NexGen Solutions.

Werneth School is an 11-16 mixed community school with around 1,300 pupils. Following the recent implementation of an electronic registration system and an increasing number of laptops and mobile devices being used within the school, Werneth wanted to pave the way for effective mobile learning by installing a WLAN. It was essential that the new system had a wide-ranging and reliable signal in order to ensure the data from the registration system was accurately updated onto the network at the start of each lesson, and that it was also able to support multiple concurrent users accessing the network during classes. In addition, with parent concerns over child safety on the web growing, Werneth School also needed to be able to provide a secure browsing environment through the creation of different networks with different access settings.

The school consulted with NexGen about installing a managed wireless network that would not only deliver reliable and consistent Wi-Fi coverage, but that could also be partitioned into two secure networks – one for teachers and one for pupils. After an extensive evaluation of competitive WLAN gear from Ruckus, DLink, NETGEAR and Freecom, NexGen recommended the ZoneFlex system due to its simple and straightforward management system and innovative smart wireless meshing technology, which ensures reliable coverage across the school building. Werneth School has now deployed a full wireless cloud with 47 access points (APs) along with a Ruckus ZoneDirector which provides centralized, and simple, management for the entire system.

"The support we received from both Ruckus and NexGen made all the difference in helping us to implement a system that was tailor-made to suit our needs," said Andy O'Brien, media and email network manager and ICT systems technician at Werneth School. "We were impressed with the technology, but needed to ensure the system was secure enough to use in a school environment for both pupils and staff. NexGen and Ruckus helped us to create four separate password-protected networks with restricted access. This offers great security for our data and protects our pupils from potentially harmful websites."

The Ruckus ZoneFlex Smart Wi-Fi solution at Werneth automatically steers Wi-Fi signals around interference to provide extended range and higher capacity coverage. This means that fewer APs are needed to cover a given area and more consistent performance is delivered enabling multiple pupils and devices to access the network without the worry of interference from neighboring devices – the Ruckus system constantly readjusts to overcome obstacles in the surrounding environment and provide the best throughput for each user.

"Schools like Werneth need to be able to depend on their wireless network to provide a safe and reliable learning environment for their pupils," said Azam Haq, managing director of NexGen Solutions. "By creating separate networks with different access levels for staff and pupils, the school can ensure the Wi-Fi system is being used solely for educational purposes."

"The education sector in particular is seeing a huge increase in the use of laptops and other mobile devices both by teachers and students alike," said Jim Calderbank, director of enterprise sales at Ruckus. "Our ZoneFlex solution allows network managers to monitor who is using the wireless system, how to isolate problems and the best way to optimize performance. This, along with our unrivaled coverage, makes the Ruckus system ideal for schools."