Wired+Networks



**First Steps ** If you are looking at upgrading a school network there is really only one sensible place to start, the Ministry of Education network upgrade programme and the specifications that have been published to support it. It is our understanding that there has now been enough money budgeted to pay 80% of the cost of upgrading the network for every school in the country. Of course they will not pay 80% if you do not wish to bring your network to their published standards. You can find the standards on the MoE website: [|MoE Network Standards] More information on the Network Upgrade Programme can be found on the Government Funding Page

They appear to be fairly complete, and if you care to read through them there is a lot of information there. About the biggest problem is that they suggest a Layer 2 switch is suitable for a small school. Ii is arguable that if schools are likely to be connected to a loop soon then they need a Layer 3 switch. Likewise if you intend to run IP telephony in your school then you should be putting in a layer 3 switch also.
 * Are the MoE Specifications Sufficient? **

**Problems seen**
 * Cable testing:** On page 57 of the Cabling Standards document it says that full testing of all cables both new and existing should be done once labeling and documentation is complete. When schools have been asked for copies of this documentation after their network has been upgraded, they do not have copies of it.


 * Sign off:** There is a requirement to sign off the work once it has been completed, it seems that often this is done by someone who does not have the experience to tell if the work has been completed satisfactorily or not. On page 57 of the Cabling Standards document it says that the manufacturer of the cabling system shall inspect the site to confirm compliance and to provide sign-off.


 * Switch configuration:** Expensive switches have been mounted in racks with no configuration done at all; no IP address set, no port configuration and not even linked to each other using the stack ports (which make multiple switches act as one device). There seems little point putting in expensive gear, if it is going to act like cheap gear. If you do not know how to tell the difference, then it may be worth paying someone who does, to check the work that gets done on your site.


 * Placement of network outlets:** Do not rely on the people doing the cabling to put these in the right place. Their motivation is to put them in places that are either cheap or easy to run cables to. What you actually want, of course, is for them to be put in places that will be useful to you, near the teachers desk, where you plug into the data projector, where you think you might want to put computers. Some have been seen above the door into the room!!!! It is likely that those don't get used much!!


 * Placement of power points:** Probably you are going to need power near the ethernet outlets. Do not leave it to chance. Design for it!

**Loops Make Things More Complicated** If you are going to be joining a local loop in the near future, then you really should speak to Loop people before your network upgrade, because they might have advice that will save you thousands of dollars in terms of the CORE switch and how it gets configured. A couple of examples are:
 * When you join a loop you might well need to change the IP space that you use within your school. Possibly you will be using 192.168.x.x and they will want you in a particular space on the 10.x.x.x range for instance. It would make sense to reconfigure your network once, at the time that your new switches are being set up rather than having to do it again later. Likewise it is a good time to set up separate VLANs for your staff, students, security cameras, switch admin etc if that is not already implemented in your school. Make sure that you have that information to provide to the contractor assigned to your school.
 * Does your loop require you to have a firewall appliance between your network and theirs? Can this be achieved by upgrading your CORE switch?

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