Staff atFarnham Castle Conference
Centrein Surrey have overcome challenges at
the 900-year-old site by implementing a self-regulating wireless
network to meet visitor demand for access to the internet
throughout the venue.
The challenge was providing a local area network with
reliable connectivity despite stone walls of up to three metres
thick in places, and at the same time using as few wireless access
points as possible to meet strict English Heritage guidelines, said
Matthew MacLachlan, IT support manager at Farnham Castle.
The conference centre chose
Aruba Networks because of its ability to overcome site
restrictions and meet security requirements.
The Aruba system offered enhanced security by securing traffic
between the access points and the core switch as well as between
laptop computers and the access points, and includes adaptive radio
management software, which automatically adjusts the frequency and
power of the access points as required.
"This feature is particularly good at delivering a quality
signal in what we thought would be a very difficult environment,"
said MacLachlan.
The management software enables the system to respond to peaks
in demand or even a failure of one of the access points.
The wireless network at Farnham Castle is made up of an Aruba
controller and 10 access points, which provide internet access in
15 meeting rooms, 32 guest rooms and the Great Hall in the castle
grounds.
"The system is extremely easy to use from an administrative
point of view. No expertise is required. All staff have to do is
give visitors a user name and password and the system does the
rest," said MacLachlan.