Home 2010 ENB Network Upgrade Project

2010 ENB Network Upgrade

Project Overview

USF Information Technology Communications is in the process of upgrading the network in ENB. These upgrades will provide the following benefits:

  • 1-Gbps to the desktop (10x increase over current speeds)
  • 10-Gbps backbone for the building (10-100x increase over current speeds)
  • Reduced labor costs to the departments for adds/moves/changes of phone/data
  • Reduced network electronics costs
  • Improved network design, stability and security
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Project News

  • The project schedule will be updated weekly throughout the course of the re-wiring.
  • 4/9/2010 - We have received approval to proceed.
  • Cabling will start on 4/20/2010.
  • The last desktop cut-over to the new cabling was completed on 9/14/2010.
  • This project is now complete. Check out some of the before and after pictures.

Re-cabling

Before any thing else can happen, we must upgrade the aging cable plant in ENB. Much of the wiring in ENB is over 20 years old and can not support gigabit speeds. We spent February and March gathering feedback from ENB faculty and staff regarding the networking needs for the building. The floor plans below are the culmination of that process. These plans indicate where network connections will be available when the upgrade process is complete.

Project Timeline

As of 4/9/2010, we have been given approval to move forward with the upgrade project. The purchase orders for the cabling and new network electronics have been issued. We have prepared a tentative schedule for the upgrades. This schedule will change over the course of the project, but we will update this document on a weekly basis in order to keep everyone informed. We will also post news updates ("Project News" section above) for major events related to the project.

What users should expect before, during, and after the upgrades

This project will obviously have at least some impact on all occupants of ENB while the work is being performed. Contractors will need access to all offices, classrooms, and labs in order to install the new cabling. IT will strive to minimize this impact by working around faculty/staff, classroom, and lab schedules. We will also perform some work after-hours in areas which are too highly utilized during the day. The new cabling and equipment will be installed in parallel with the existing network. So, there will be no significant downtime required for users.

These are the high-level tasks that must be completed for this upgrade project:

  • COMPLETE - Identify needed locations and quantities of cabling
  • COMPLETE - Determine cost estimates for the project
  • COMPLETE - Generate work schedules and coordinate these with the occupants of the building
  • COMPLETE - Install the new cabling and network equipment
  • COMPLETE - Work with tech support in each department to move desktops and labs over to the new cabling
  • COMPLETE - Remove old cabling and network equipment

Contact Information

If there are any questions regarding this project or if you would like to meet with IT to discuss your office/lab network needs, please email enb-upgrades@net.usf.edu or call us 813-974-7369.