The Wi-Fi project, major problem on campus

IET 120 Spring 2014

Enrique Samudio Giovani Samaha

2/19/2014

Background of the Problem:

Wi-Fi is one of the most used technologies on campus by students. The range of the Wi-Fi on campus is really short and some dorm rooms dont get signal.

Problem and Goal Statement:

For students internet is a big part of their academic life, since most of the homeworks assignments and sometimes tests are due online via blackboard. The rooms are equipped with internet connection via cable, with only one plug; this is a major problem because the rooms are mostly occupied by more than one person. The solution the students used was buying modems which will provide Wi-Fi and more than one internet connection via cable. Having this kind of modems in the rooms is forbidden by the university policies.

Problem Solving Approach: (Engineering Design Process)

1. (define the problem) The internet on campus has a very slow connection and is not reachable from everywhere where its needed. 2. (Brainstorm) The use of modems in the rooms.

3. (Identify criteria) The students are going to be able to work freely around campus without worrying if they will have internet connection. The students will have better grades if they have internet access in their rooms and are able to upload homeworks at any time. 4. (Develop/propose design/choose alternative solution) Our design includes the use of Wi-Fi amplifier around campus to increase the range and the speed. An alternative solution can be to improve the connection with the Internet provided by the university and more than one plug in the rooms. 5. (Implement the propose solution) First, we were able to buy a modem for our room in Fields Hall, which perfectly solved the problem for a couple of days until it stopped working, after investigating what went wrong we discovered the school change the IP configuration for the modems to stop working. Several students were affected by this problem and decided to use the alternative solution which is not very effective because there is only one Ethernet connection per room. The easier solution would be for the school to provide better connection by using Wi-Fi amplifiers which go for $29.99 which will extend the range of the Wi-Fi.

6. (make a model or prototype) We choose to do a schematic of a room with two plugs and a map with Wi-Fi amplifiers around campus which will extend the range, both ideas would help solve the problem. 7. (evaluate the solution and its consequences) It will create a cost for the school which we think is necessary, the modems may break some University Policies. 8. (refine the design) what can we do differently? 9. (create the final design) The final design and solution can be planned once the University gives feedback on the project. 10. (communicate processes and result) See below.

Information Collected.
Homeworks are a big part of the academic life of a student mostly because its a big part of the grade of every class. We are in the 21st century, and most of the universities of America are using internet as a tool for professors and students to communicate. Communication between this two groups of people is vital in the pursue of higher education. Blackboard learning system is a virtual learning environment which features course management, which allows integration with the student information systems according to Jay Bhatt, president and chief

executive officer of Blackboard Inc. Morehead State University is part of this modern education system, which brings us to the main problem. Both of us majoring in Engineering are not an exception of the use of this online learning system. Blackboard is part of our daily life and the day our Modem stopped working our life fall apart. What were we going to do when we needed to submit homework at 3am, or study for an exam late at night. Internet is a big part of students life and its unacceptable that the Wi-Fi range is not good enough to reach our room. We were in a big problem when both of us came back to the room and tried to use the Wi-Fi but it did not work. We checked the modem and nothing was wrong with it and we tried to restart it but the connection would not work. So my roommate decided to take the modem to his friends house where one of the guys is a IT specialist. He tried to connect the modem to his house and it worked so at this point we knew that the problem was from the school connection and we had to settle for the Ethernet connection provided via cable which can be used only by one computer at a time. Until today we are not able to do homeworks online at the same time. Its unacceptable that a University like Morehead is unable to provide a descent connection for students to be able to do what they need, to get the grades they want.

Sources

Personal experiences.

Bhatt, Jay. "Blackboard | About Bb | Overview." Blackboard | About Bb | Overview. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.

"Internet Access from the Residence Halls." Morhead State University. N.p., n.d. Web.