Case Study A - Network Installation

School A is a large rural school in south county Galway. They needed a solution to solve a number of problems:

- Shared access to files

- Shared access to software

- Shared printing on a network printer

- A cost effective Internet Access solution.

The first requirement was a structured cable network running through the school. We installed Cat5e cabling in all of the classrooms, leading back to a central cabinet stored in a utility room. The cable was terminated onto patch panels and mounted inside the cabinet.

The cabinet also houses the rackmounted switch, which allows the computers to communicate with each other. This is uplinked to an ISDN router connecting the computers to the Internet.

There is also a server in the utility room which stores shared files and software. The central laser printer is located in the secretary's office.

Maintenance is provided on a structured basis. The network has performed beyond expectations. Future plans include the addition of new computers and upgrading to a higher speed internet connection as it becomes available.

Case Study B - Network and Broadband Internet Installation

School B is a large city school sectioned into three separate buildings. This school has the advantage that it is within the range covered by broadband internet and therefore all computers have a high-speed internet connection.

Each building was wired with Cat5e cable coupled to a local cabinet and switch. To facilitate shared internet access, broadband DSL was installed and wireless connections were established in order to allow communication throughout the entire school. This solution was much easier and required less disruption than attaching cables between the buildings.

Future plans include upgrading the wireless links (currently running at 22Mbps,802.11b) and increasing the bandwidth on the DSL connection.

Moreover, we have regular training sessions with all the staff. We show them how to use the network fully and effectively as well as how to get the best out of the broadband internet access.