BY: MONICA HORAN & MAYA ASTABIE
SENIOR WRITER & ASSISTANT OP/ED EDITOR
The Information Technology Services team has fulfilled the promises they made before spring break to boost Wi-Fi in dormitories. They are in the process of finishing up installing and rearranging multiple access points in East Hill and Horan Hall.
“At the end of the day, the single most important thing is that we have to be providing wireless to the dorms,” Robert Moran, associate director of ITS, said.
To accomplish this goal, ITS completely rearranged the access points in the buildings to give each floor more wireless coverage.
Furthermore, the team doubled the number of wireless access points to optimize coverage while blending the units into the walls or ceilings they were mounted onto.
Network engineer Maggie Michalczyk took a lead in strategically placing the access points for the duration of this extensive project.
“Maggie […] really poured over these maps. she was really the brains behind the access point placement,” Moran said. “She poured over the floor plans for weeks really trying to get the most coverage, keep the scope of work under control, spend the project money wisely.”
The majority of the installation in the dorms was completed over spring break.
The responses from the students who have been using the Wi-Fi have largely been mixed.
East Hill resident and English literature major Jande Moscot is satisfied with the updates.
“The Wi-Fi has been pretty good in my room,” Moscot said. “It’s not very good in the hallways.”
Joseph Mcdermott, a resident of Horan and a peace studies major, is satisfied with the changes.
“I think that the Wi-Fi has improved. They installed new routers. So, overall it has been a more enjoyable experience,” Mcdermott said.
Not every resident has shared that experience.
East Hill resident and mechanical engineering major Thomas Colacino has had a difficult time accessing Wi-Fi in his room since spring break.
“There used to be a router outside my room,” Colacino said. “They took it out and ever since then I only get Wi-Fi in one corner of my room.”
The ITS team has not gauged students’ opinions since the change but intends to do so soon.
“We’ve not solicited feedback, we’ve just kind of have gotten it in passing, but we’re waiting until the project is 100 percent complete then we’ll solicit feedback,” Jake Holmquist, the director of Information Technology Services, said.
“If we find those people who still say that wireless is terrible we will go take care of that,” Moran said.
The ITS team’s next most critical area is Overlook Manor. Students there should expect improved Wi-Fi in the off-campus dorm hall when they return from summer break.
“I hope the students’ perception is that we’re listening to them and reacting to them on ticketing. Please keep telling us,” Moran said. “We are doing our absolute best to do something about it.”