How to plan a WiFi network in educational environments

Interactive classrooms, digital libraries, smart boards, IoT devices… Digital learning has become one of the critical pillars of education today. A transformation that poses countless challenges. Some are cultural and social, others technical. One of the most complex is undoubtedly how to plan a WiFi network in educational environments.

Universities, colleges, nursery schools… Digitalization has burst into the world of education like a bull in a china shop. And with it have come technical and logistical challenges that require knowledge and resources.

Planning a WiFi network in educational environments is a process that requires in-depth analysis, as there are many variables to take into account: signal strength, latency, scalability, security… We have had ample proof of the scale of the challenge in recent times.

In May 2024, the Complutense University of Madrid suffered a cyberattack that led to the personal and academic data of thousands of students, teachers and graduates being leaked. The institution’s WiFi network, used by thousands and thousands of people who make up the university community, was then at the center of attention. Just a few months later, in September, the UPSA faced a similar incident.

This article analyzes exactly this and many other challenges. There is a need for educational institutions to reconcile the overwhelming power of digitalization for learning with the need to create a robust, secure, and scalable WiFi network.

1. Needs and requirements, the starting point

Before starting to plan a WiFi network in educational environments, the first step is to carry out a detailed analysis of the project. This is a strategic step to ensure that the network can support the loads and security today and in the future.

These are some of the variables to take into account:

1.1 Number of connected devices

In an educational environment, the number of devices accessing the WiFi can be very high. And also with a very high degree of variability. Laptops and tablets for students and teachers, IoT devices, security systems…

In universities, laboratories with high levels of digitization are increasingly common and they often need the WiFi network to operate. Judiciously estimating the present and future number of devices with access to the network will, therefore, be of great help.

1.2 The content factor

A standard educational environment can currently use a wide variety of applications, content and resources that require bandwidth to be operational.

Videoconferencing, streaming educational content and the new LMS (learning management systems) platforms are very intensive in terms of network resource consumption, so they have to be very well defined when planning a WiFi network in educational environments.

Due to its widespread use, at this point we must not rule out web browsing either to avoid the dreaded bottlenecks.

1.3 Where and why

If the content is critical, the container is another key element when defining the needs of the institution. Not all areas of an educational center have the same needs, so the analysis must take this into account.

An example, while classrooms, libraries and laboratories are usually high-demand areas, common areas such as corridors and cafeterias may require more limited coverage.

1.4 Safer, more robust

As we pointed out previously, planning a WiFi network in an educational environment must place security at the center of the project and implement access control measures to protect the institution’s sensitive data and, of course, also the valuable knowledge that can be treasured there is essential in this era.

Segmenting the network to separate the traffic of students, teachers and all the more administrative technology is another of these recommended practices.

2. Time to design the infrastructure

Once the needs and requirements of the institution have been determined, it will be time to design the infrastructure. This is a critical stage of the project as it will involve making technical decisions that will determine both the performance and the scalability of the network.

2.1 The standard

Choosing the WiFi standard is one of the first steps. Today, the most common when planning a WiFi network in educational environments are WiFi 5 (802.11ac) and WiFi 6 (802.11ax).

The former offers solid performance, but WiFi 6 is already standing out in the market for its greater efficiency in environments with large volumes of connected devices. This is mainly due to the incorporation of technologies such as OFDMA and MU-MIMO.

On this point, experts also recommend at least resorting to dual-band networks (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) and evaluating the possibility of incorporating WiFi6e (6 GHz) and devices that can be upgraded to WiFi7. The former provides a greater range for users but is more prone to interference. The 5GHz network stands out for its higher speed and lower congestion; in the case of 6GHz, the saturation is minimal, but also the number of compatible devices.

2.2 Locations

In the process of planning a WiFi network in educational environments, it is critical to define the location of the access points (APs) that will guarantee the quality of coverage and its capacity.

In this sense, using heat maps and coverage studies will be of great help in identifying the areas with the highest demand. Not only to assess the quality of the signal but also the capacity of the network:

In a lecture hall or a school auditorium, for example, it may be necessary to install several APs to avoid incidents related to saturation or lack of connectivity.

2.3 Segment and secure

In this task of designing the infrastructure of a university or a school, a recommended practice is the segmentation of the network. Using VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks) helps to separate the traffic of different groups of users: students, teachers, administrative staff, devices, etc. This technology not only improves security but also facilitates bandwidth management and the implementation of usage policies.

In relation to security, it is advisable to use WPA3, the most advanced standard in WiFi security. If it is also combined with 802.1X authentication to verify the identity of users before they access the network, the robustness of the infrastructure will be optimized. Of course, another recommended best practice is to install a firewall to filter traffic and ensure proper use of the network.

3. A strategic ally

Given that planning a WiFi network in educational environments is a technically complex task, it seems more than reasonable to approach the process with highly specialized, state-of-the-art tools.

Using, for example, the Acrylic WiFi suite of applications can help to fine-tune each of the many tasks and challenges that arise along the way.

Using Acrylic WiFi Heatmaps to plan the network design from scratch, the location of access points to ensure adequate coverage and real-time validation once the infrastructure has been deployed, Acrylic WiFi Analyzer to determine and solve problems or Acrylic WiFi Sniffer to perform a detailed, low-level analysis of possible protocol problems or incompatibilities, as well as to optimize the signal and avoid interference, represents an adequate roadmap in this complex network design process.

This is a task that must be continued in the future with permanent maintenance and monitoring of the infrastructure.

4. Conclusions

In short, designing and implementing a robust, efficient and secure WiFi network is a decisive contribution to guaranteeing the digital transformation of any university or college.

The training of students, the reputation of the institution and the protection of personal data and the knowledge it holds well deserve a determined effort on this path of digitization.