Thapar University Standardizes on Smart Wi-Fi from Ruckus Wireless for Large-Scale Indoor/Outdoor Wireless Network

New Wireless Networks Gives Students and Staff Higher Performance and Stable Wi-Fi Access

NEW DELHI, INDIA - June 1, 2010 – Ruckus Wireless™, the smart mobile networking company, today announced that Thapar University, a leading engineering and technology institution in north India, has standardized on next generation Wi-Fi products and technology from Ruckus Wireless.

Across its sprawling 250-acre Patiala campus in Punjab, India, Thapar has deployed over 100 ZoneFlex 2942 and 2741 indoor and outdoor access points centrally-managed by Ruckus ZoneDirector™ wireless LAN controllers. In the residential buildings, Thapar is also using 75 MediaFlex 2200 series wireless bridges to provide reliable wireless access to faculty/staff members. Founded in 1956, Thapar University offers 5,000+ students undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programs in technology, engineering and management courses.

The Ruckus Smart WLAN system replaces a legacy wireless system that proved unable to provide consistent performance and connectivity for students and the staff. Spotty coverage was another problem that the legacy network was unable to address without adding many more access points.

After extensive evaluation and trials, Thapar selected Ruckus “Smart Wi-Fi” products and technology from Ruckus Wireless to provide reliable Wi-Fi services to its diverse user base. Unlike conventional Wi-Fi technology, Smart Wi-Fi leverages patented dynamic beamforming and smart antenna array technology to deliver a two- to four-fold improvement in Wi-Fi range and reliability with fewer access points needed for a given area.

“We ran a series of trials with many renowned vendors, but found the Ruckus beamforming technology remarkable in its performance and reliability,” said Dr. Maninder Singh, Ph.D, Associate Professor, Computer Science and Engineering Department of Thapar University. “Ruckus simply delivered better range and coverage the minute we powered it up. Ruckus APs delivered jitter-free multicast IP video streams across many walls far away from the access point. Also the Ruckus solution required fewer access points compared to others which helped us allay budget concerns.”

The Ruckus ZoneFlex 2942 and 2741 access points integrate a multi-element high-gain smart antenna array that generates over 4000 antenna combinations. Antenna control software automatically determines the best path to reach the Wi-Fi client devices and reject interference simultaneously. ZoneFlex APs also integrate sophisticated QoS features – automatically classifying and prioritizing traffic.

Thapar University is also taking advantage of Ruckus-patented Dynamic Pre-Shared Key (PSK) technology to offload network administrators from configuring thousands of client devices. Upon successful authentication, the ZoneDirector automatically pushes a unique encryption key to each user device, automatically configuring the device with the key along with all the requisite wireless configuration information needed to access the Wi-Fi network. This effectively eliminates IT staff from having to manually configure end users devices while maintaining a high level of Wi-Fi security.

To further strengthen the network security, Thapar created multiple WLAN groups and created Layer-2, Layer-3 and Layer-4 based access control lists. “Ruckus provides advanced security features that are fundamental to building a highly secure wireless network,” said Dr. Singh, who is also a certified ethical hacker and licensed penetration tester, “But most important, the Ruckus system is extremely simple to manage and deploy. The entire product range can be managed from a single console and is easily scalable as we expand.”

According to Dr. Seema Bawa, Head Centre for Information Highway: “Thapar University believes in technological excellence and wanted to deploy the best wireless system available for students and the faculty. Ruckus helped us realize this vision.”

Beyond common network and Internet access, Thapar University was looking for a wireless system that could provide the predictable performance essential for running multicast video throughout its facilities.“In the face of an increasingly noisy Wi-Fi environment, without explicit control over the transmission path, it’s impossible to properly support real-time multimedia streaming over Wi-Fi,” said Sudarshan Boosupalli, General Manager of India for Ruckus Wireless. “Ruckus products and technology solve these reliability issues by extending signal range and reducing packet loss to enable consistent and predictable performance wherever the user is roaming.”

About Thapar University
Thapar University* (TU) was established on 8 October 1956 as an Engineering College named Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology. It is a University established in 1985 vide Sec.3 of the UGC Act, 1956 under notification # F.9-12/84-U.3. Thapar University offers Post-graduate and undergraduate programs in Engineering, Science, Management and Social Sciences. At TU we strive to maintain an environment that encourages scholarly inquiry and research, a spirit of creative independence and a deep commitment to academic excellence. We see our students as unique individuals with different interests and aspirations. The diverse programs and activities aimed at developing quality of mind, ethical standard, social awareness and global perspectives, let the students shape their own TU experience and grow.