COWLSHUR Project

The COWLSHUR project is replacing the hardware that provides the COWLS Wi-Fi service. COWLS is the centrally managed Wi-Fi service provided by IT Services. For more information on the project please watch the ITSS - Pre-Year Roundup on 28 September:

Project objectives

• Implement a reliable, robust and secure Wi-Fi service for the University, provided by the Managed Network Services (MNS) team
• Replace the current 'end of life' COWLS hardware with a new solution
• Implement a new service that meets the current and future needs of existing COWLS customers, and is attractive to new customers

Benefits of new service

• Juniper Mist technology delivering Wi-Fi 6 standards
• All existing COWLS Access Points (APs) to be replaced by the project
• Paradigm shift in diagnostics
• Clear visualisation of the supported sites with heatmaps and self-help tools to identify problems quickly and easily
• Support from wireless experts in MNS, together with the better diagnostic interface for ITSS from Mist, will help provide an improved end user experience, and the best possible coverage
• Personal WLAN (in development)

Scope

Existing COWLS customers - all APs that were registered by 31 May 2021

Timeline

• October 2020 - Juniper Mist and Telent selected as manufacturer and reseller respectively (complete)
• December 2020 to May 2021 - Proof of Concept implementation and evaluation at 13 Banbury Road (complete)
• June to August 2021 - Pilot implementation and evaluation at four sites
• September 2021 to February 2022 - implementation at all COWLS customer sites

Implementation plan per site