Happy Birthday, Towson Unplugged!

Wireless One Year Later

Towson's wireless network will continue to evolve over time as the service grows in popularity. Photo by Sofia Silva.

February 2006 marked Towson University's one year anniversary of "cutting the cord," launching wireless coverage throughout the majority of TU's 328 acres. As we embark on another year of cord-free computing, read on to find out what's in store for Towson Unplugged.

Popularity on the Rise

Darting between classes, work and meetings, and trying to grab a bite to eat sometime in between has made Towson Unplugged a popular choice for students, faculty and staff on the go.

Since the launch last year, 5,689 different devices have attached to the wireless network. OTS expects this number to grow as enrollment increases and people progressively purchase laptops and notepads over traditional personal computers. In response, the university plans to eventually increase the available bandwidth on the wireless network, says Jim Monroe, assistant director for networking and communications services.

"In high use areas of campus like the University Union we are sometimes seeing as many as twenty students working wirelessly," Monroe says. "Many of the students in that space likely connect to the access point closest to the food court. As participation in the wireless network goes up, we will address areas heavily used by improving services."

Another issue OTS is aware of is the need for more AC outlets in common meeting areas or study rooms throughout campus. While wireless access is available almost everywhere, users often need access to an outlet to keep their laptop's battery power going. OTS will continue to evaluate this issue and make recommendations for more outlets as needed.

Expanding Towson Unplugged's Reach

With construction finished on the Center for the Arts building, OTS can now begin planning for wireless installation there. OTS recently completed the building's wireless site survey, and the next step will be to draw up the plans and budget for the necessary components for wall-to-wall coverage. About 60-80 access points will be needed.

Once CFA is wireless, OTS will begin investigating the possibility of extending wireless coverage to the residence halls. High-speed wired Internet access is currently provided in residence halls by Comcast, which is contracted with the university through fall 2007.

Lida Lee Tall will not receive wireless service because it is slated for demolition to make way for the new College of Liberal Arts building.

OTS recently upgraded Towson Unplugged to provide seamless roaming, which allows users to move from wireless access point to access point throughout campus without losing their connection.

An Unexpected Challenge

When Towson Unplugged was launched last year, some users were concerned about security. While wireless networks are inherently not as secure as wired connections, OTS took all precautions to make Towson Unplugged as secure as possible. To date only one instance of vandalism has been reported on the wireless network.  

So what is OTS' biggest security challenge with the wireless network so far? Squirrels! The cute little critters like to chew on the cables connected to the outdoor access points.

For more information on Towson Unplugged, please visit http://www.towson.edu/unplugged.