UPISNews01052007a

UPIS Administration headed by Dr. Reyes, together with representatives from batch 68 and ProdatNet (supplier of the WiFi equipment) pose under the UPIS end of the wireless bridge.

UP High Batch '68 Donates WiFi Equipment
Tonio Ocampo (01.05.2007)

UP High School Batch '68 recently donated wireless bridging equipment to link UPIS' 7-10 Campus to the University's network otherwise known as DilNet. This will allow free and fast internet access on all computers connected to UPIS' own network.

Connection Issues

Before the wireless bridge, UPIS relied on dial-up connections via private Internet Service Providers. DilNet is essentially a fibre-optic computer network linking all units of the University as well as providing free and relatively fast Internet access to these units. As such, several administrations have sought to connect UPIS' 7-10 Campus to the DilNet. The problem with UPIS' 7-10 Campus is that it is cut off from the University by Katipunan Avenue, which, since time immemorial, has been scheduled for widening into an EDSA-esque highway. Laying a fibre-optic cable across Katipunan was not an option. What the school required was a wireless solution which is an expensive proposition.

Batch 68 to the Rescue

Late last year, UP High Batch '68 met with the school's administration in order to solve UPIS' Internet connection problem. Two options were identified, broadband connection via a TelCo or a bridge to the DilNet. In the end, the bridge was identified as a cost-effective alternative and Batch '68 pledged to fund the project. Batch '68 then referred UPIS to a solution provider and tasked the head of UPIS' Office of Research, Development and Publication to act as intermediary.

A series of consultations with DilNet and ProdataNet (the solution provider) engineers were then held to identify the needed equipment and the site for the wireless bridge. The College of Home Economics (CHE) was identified as the most feasible access point since it had the nearest network linked via fibre-optic cable to the DilNet.

After a memorandum of agreement between the UPIS and CHE was signed, the equipment was installed. After a week of tests, the equipment was officially turned over to the school by Batch '68 on November 25, 2006.

More Than Just a Bridge

The actual wireless bridge consists of two outdoor flat panel antennas - one at the CHE's Child Development Center and the other at UPIS' new building. In order to bridge the gap between the old and the new buildings, two wireless access points were also included in the package. This, in effect, turns the area between the two buildings (including certain areas in these buildings) into a free WiFi zone for students, faculty and staff with WiFi-enabled mobile devices like laptops and PDAs.

The Caveat

The DilNet connection via CHE's netwwork means that UPIS' own network is now a subnetwork of CHE's network. This poses some peculiar problems for UPIS system administrators. For one, file and printer sharing within UPIS is now unsecure. Also, UPIS' internet connection is now subject to the requirements of CHE's network. Add to this, mobile devices will have to be manually assigned IP addresses unless a server is set up on CHE's side of the bridge.

Despite these problems, the connection was found to be adequate (enough for Google Earth) whenever a connection was available.

Future Projects

So far, the computers in the administration offices, faculty rooms and the library are serviced by the bridge. The library, which used to charge PhP 20.00 per hour for internet browsing via dial-up now provides the service for free. The only computers outside the loop are the computers in the computer lab. Unfortunately, connecting these computers requires that the lab be relocated above the administration offices. The PTA has pledged PhP 50,000.00 to fund the move.