Meeting Digital and Technology Standards: Wireless Networks

We’re concluding our digital and technology standards series with a dive into the essential wireless network standards that will keep your school connected and secure

We’ve reached the final part of our digital and technology standards series! By now, you should feel confident in the steps required to ensure your school is meeting the necessary standards. However, if you’re still uncertain about anything, don’t forget that the government website offers detailed guidance for further clarity. But for now, to wrap up this series, let’s look at the important standards for wireless networks.

Meeting Approvals

Your school or college will have many users connecting to the network at once, so it’s essential to have a high-performance solution that ensures the connection speed remains fast, even as more devices join the network. To achieve this, your wireless network should use the latest wifi standard, wifi 6 (802.11ax), which is designed for high capacity and performance. When choosing the right solution, make sure to review the network interface speeds of the access points, which typically range from 1Gbps to 5Gbps. Additionally, the network should be set up to support network segregation and Quality of Service (QoS) to manage traffic effectively and ensure optimal performance for all users.

Ensuring Usability

A reliable wireless connection depends on strong signal coverage throughout your school or college, especially in areas where mobile devices will be used. To achieve this, work with your wireless provider to design a solution that meets your specific needs. This should include using wireless heat mapping during the planning stage to identify optimal access point placements and minimise interference from building management systems or other networks. Ideally, you should have wireless access points installed across the site, with one in each classroom to ensure consistent and reliable coverage.

Securing Your Network

It is crucial that your school IT networks are designed to prevent unauthorised users from gaining access while still providing appropriate access for regular and guest users. Without proper security measures, an unsecured wireless network could allow unauthorised individuals to access sensitive school or student data. This not only exposes the school to the risk of data theft or misuse but could also lead to the loss of access to critical school systems, resulting in significant disruption to daily operations. To prevent these risks, it’s essential to implement robust security protocols, including encryption, strong authentication methods and network segregation, ensuring that only authorised users have access to specific resources. Regular monitoring and updates to security measures are also necessary to stay ahead of potential threats and safeguard your school’s digital infrastructure.

Centrally Managed Networks

Your wireless network provider or in-house support team should offer a central management tool that allows you to configure and monitor wireless access points efficiently. This tool should not only help track network performance but also provide real-time alerts in the event of a failure or issue. Additionally, the system should be capable of delivering software security updates automatically as soon as they become available, ensuring that your network is always up-to-date and secure. Along with automatic updates, regular manual checks should also be performed to further ensure the network’s integrity and reliability. This combination of automated and manual processes helps maintain a high level of security and optimal performance for your wireless network.

And there you have it – the final chapter in our journey through the digital and technology standards for schools! We hope this series has helped you feel more confident and empowered to ensure your school meets the necessary requirements for a secure, efficient, and reliable network. While it might seem like a lot to take in, remember that you don’t have to do it all at once – take it step by step, and you’ll be well on your way to creating a future-proof, tech-savvy school.