Subject: Wireless Andrew in the Residence Halls
   Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2001 06:12:53 -0400
   From: Housing <univhous@andrew.cmu.edu>
     To: <All-Campus-Residents@wgs.housing.cmu.edu>


Dear Campus Residents,

    Welcome back to Campus Housing!  Over the summer months significant
progress was made in getting "Wireless Andrew" installed into our
on-campus residential buildings, and I would like to take this
opportunity to update you on the status of this project.

     During June & July, radio design was performed in all residence
halls in order to determine the number and location of wireless access
points that would be needed on each floor of each building.  During July
& August, technicians performed cable plant designs and installations in
each building, and began installing the wireless access points and
antennas.  This phase of the project is nearing completion, and final
testing of the wireless networking is currently being conducted.  Thus,
you may still notice datacomm technicians and related contractors
working in your building throughout the coming weeks.  Please be advised
that these technicians are working in almost all residential buildings
at this point, in order to bring this project to completion and perform
their final testing.

     Residents in some of the residence halls may already be receiving a
wireless signal, although at this point it may not be consistent, as
installation and testing is still going on.  However, we expect this
project to be completed very soon, and all residents should then receive
a strong, consistent signal from the wireless access points.  We do not
have an exact timeline at this point, but as buildings are confirmed to
be complete and online with wireless networking, we will try to notify
residents via email. Exceptions to this are Forbes House, Welch House
and Kappa Delta Rho, which have been delayed until the end of September.
Also, due to renovation planning, Henderson House will not receive the
wireless overlay this academic year. However, residents in these buildings 
may possibly still pick up a wireless signal bleeding from neighboring 
buildings.

     Wireless is not intended to replace the existing hard-wired
ethernet connections in your living space, instead it is a supplement to
the ethernet for those who wish to use it.   Should you wish to take
advantage of the wireless networking in the residence halls, you will of
course need a computer that supports a wireless card, and you will need
to purchase the wireless card. These are available at the campus
computer store, as well as through most computer vendors.

    There are specific requirements for Andrew Wireless, and you should
know what those are before making an investment in computer hardware.
For detailed information about the Carnegie Mellon wireless network, and
for specific instructions on how to set it up on your computer, please
visit the Computing Services web site at:
http://www.cmu.edu/computing/wireless/

    On a final note, you may notice the new wireless access points
located in various areas throughout the residence halls, and in a few
instances they were installed in private living spaces (due to radio
design requirements).  All wireless hardware is University property and
is expensive to replace, and therefore any damage or theft of this
equipment will be taken very seriously and damage-billed accordingly by
Housing Services.  This new technology is a significant leap forward in
campus life, and we greatly appreciate your help and cooperation in
keeping it secure.

Sincerely,

Dave Lubovinsky
Coordinator of Housing Technology & IS




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