New Hampshire School District Deploys Unified Network for BYOD

Oyster River Cooperative School District (ORCSD) in New Hampshire has implemented a unified wired and wireless access network to support its bring-your-own-device (BYOD) initiative together with district-owned devices.

The district recently implemented a BYOD policy to take advantage of the increasing number of mobile devices students were bringing on campus, enabling them to use the devices to access educational resources. But the district's network couldn't support the growing number of tablets, smartphones, laptops and e-readers competing for bandwidth, and it couldn't provide the same level of network access for both the personal and district-owned devices. It was time to upgrade.

The district evaluated its options and chose a solution from Aruba Networks. The new network consists of Aruba Instant contoller-less access points (APs), the AirWave Network Management System, the ClearPass Access Management System and Aruba Mobility Access Switches.

According to the company, the district chose Aruba for its "ease of deployment and simplified management," as well as its ClearPass Access Management System, which profiles the users and devices on the network to control their access privileges.

"Our overall goal is to enhance student learning and enrich classroom lessons," said Josh Olstad, IT director for ORCSD, in a prepared statement. "Our students are already bringing multiple devices to school, so it makes sense for us to allow these devices to access the network and the valuable educational resources that reside on it." According to Olstad, the new unified network supports that goal by enabling students and teachers to connect their personal and district-issued devices, so they can access those resources securely over the network.

Oyster River Cooperative School District is a K-12 public school district serving approximately 2,000 students from the communities of Durham, Lee and Madbury, NH.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • three silhouetted education technology leaders with thought bubbles containing AI-related icons

    Ed Tech Leaders Rank Generative AI as Top Tech Priority

    In a recent CoSN survey, an overwhelming majority of ed tech leaders (94%) said they see AI as having a positive impact on education. Respondents ranked generative AI as their top tech priority, with 80% reporting their districts have gen AI initiatives underway, or plan to in the current school year.

  • computer monitor with a bold AI search bar on the screen

    Google Rolls Out AI Mode in Search

    About a year after introducing AI Overviews for its flagship search offering, Google has announced broad availability of AI Mode in Search.

  • glowing shield hovers above a digital cloud platform with abstract data streams and cloud icons in the background

    Google to Acquire Cloud Security Firm Wiz in $32 Billion Deal

    Google has announced it will acquire cloud security startup Wiz for $32 billion. If completed, the acquisition — an all-cash deal — would mark the largest in Google's history.

  • students using digital devices, surrounded by abstract AI motifs and soft geometric design

    Ed Tech Startup Kira Launches AI-Native Learning Platform

    A new K-12 learning platform aims to bring personalized education to every student. Kira, one of the latest ed tech ventures from Andrew Ng, former director of Stanford's AI Lab and co-founder of Coursera and DeepLearning.AI, "integrates artificial intelligence directly into every educational workflow — from lesson planning and instruction to grading, intervention, and reporting," according to a news announcement.