California District Upgrades Network To Support 5,000 Devices

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 09/03/15

A California school district is up and running with a new network and wireless infrastructure. Chico Unified School District chose to deploy networking equipment from Brocade and wireless gear from Ruckus Wireless. The district used E-Rate discounts to help fund the work of replacing a legacy network.

The upgrade was needed to support the use of 3,000 Chromebooks in classrooms and an anticipated 2,000 additional devices coming online in the new school year. The school system has nearly 13,000 students.

The new network includes 400-plus Ruckus ZoneFlex indoor and outdoor access points (APs), including the 802.11 ac AP, Ruckus ZoneFlex R710. APs are installed in classrooms and offices, as well as stadiums, parking lots and sports fields. For AP and user management the district is using Ruckus ZoneDirector controllers.

"We realized that with the growth in end-user devices and in-class applications, our network needed to support a very high user density in addition to providing fence-to-fence coverage," said John Vincent, director of technology, in a press release. "With Ruckus, we are able to fully meet user requirements using one AP for every two classrooms."

The implementation also included Brocade ICX 6450, ICX 7750 and ICX 6610 switches.

The first big test of the network came when the schools tried out the Smarter Balanced online assessments earlier this year. "The network performance was flawless," said Patrick Bossetti, network analyst at Chico USD. "In fact, one of our schools has taken out all their wired devices and has gone 100 percent wireless."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • school building protected by a glowing blue shield with circuit patterns, blocking red-orange cyber threat icons

    Establishing a Proactive Defense Against Evolving Cyber Threats

    Here are six good starting points for K-12 districts that want to improve their cybersecurity mitigation strategies and take a more proactive approach to mitigating risk.

  • Stylized illustration showing cybersecurity elements like shields, padlocks, and secure cloud icons on a neutral, minimalist digital background

    Microsoft Announces Host of Security Advancements

    Microsoft has announced major cybersecurity advancements across its product portfolio and practices. The work is part of its Secure Future Initiative (SFI), a multiyear cybersecurity transformation the company calls the largest engineering project in company history.

  • A geometric pattern of open Chromebook computers with bold outlines, subtle shading, and soft gradients, spaced evenly with vibrant green and blue accents on a neutral background.

    Challenges and Opportunities Ahead for the 'Great Chromebook Refresh'

    During the pandemic, the education community scrambled to provide students with laptops to promote online learning equity and mitigate learning loss. Today, those devices are approaching the end of their useful lives — and a "great Chromebook refresh" has been predicted as schools seek to replace them with newer models.  

  • young child sitting at a table, using a tablet with an AI-generated interface

    Research: 1 in 3 Kids Use AI for Learning

    In a survey of parents with children aged 8 or younger, nearly a third of respondents (29%) said their child has used AI for school-related learning, according to a new report from Common Sense Media.