Networks 2020 project

IT Services have launched a new project (Network 2020) to replace and upgrade the campus wired network. The upgraded solution will provide the University with many benefits; improved cyber security, faster user deployments, in addition to enhancing teaching and learning through a more reliable and efficient network capability.

Important information

Implementations and network changes commenced in October 2020. The project will run until 2023.

  • Every building that contains network and communications hardware will witness a small period of disruption when equipment is replaced
  • Disruption may range from 10 minutes to 4 hours depending on the complexity of the IT hardware in the location
  • The project will use several approaches to reduce the impact of this disruption such as working out of hours and working with local contacts to schedule changes for quieter periods*
  • Initial deployments will focus on low complexity locations to ensure teething issues are addressed with minimal impact and lessons can be implemented for later more challenging deployments
  • To help minimise the impact to staff when changes are made, the project team are engaging with colleagues across the University to ensure Schools and Departments have as much notice as possible and where pertinent can feed into the planning process
  • Please consider if you have any specialist hardware connected to the network that may be affected by these changes and contact the project team to discuss further
  • Communication of planned dates will be sent in advance to key contacts. Please take into account other users of shared spaces or buildings that may be impacted by the changes and disseminate information to these or other local contacts to ensure broad dissemination of the message
  • The reporting channel for all communications and post install issues on the project is N2020@lboro.ac.uk

*Not all buildings and locations will have flexibility due to the requirement to replace old and out of support hardware before their hardware contract ends.

Post upgrade guidance

Following the upgrade:

If you previously connected a personal laptop or computer to the wired network, you will be required to register your device to connect to the new network.

  1. Connect the Ethernet cable to your device
  2. Open a web browser and go to the onboarding page (link to the page below)
  3. Follow prompts to complete registration

Please note: This does not apply to University owned devices on the staff managed desktop service. These are automatically configured to connect to the new network.

No Network Connection

This error may be present if you have not logged in to your device on the University network for a period of time. (This issue can be mitigated by ensuring you regularly log on to the network and keep your device up to date with the latest software and updates.)You will need to contact IT Support for this issue to be resolved.

Receiving an “Onboarding” page when attempting to connect a device

In order to use the wired network, you will need to register your device MAC address. This page allows you to do this quickly, so you can start using your device.

Support

For further questions and post install issues, please contact the project team using the link below.

N2020@lboro.ac.uk

Frequently Asked Questions

What benefits will I get from this change?

The current network is coming to the end of its life and uses outdated hardware which is prone to failure. The new network will address this and provide a greater service and more efficient network connectivity.

Will I have access to the internet during the change?

If you are connected to the buildings wired or wireless network during the change there will be no access to the internet or other services and you will be able to work remotely.

I’m using remote desktop connection to access services – will I be affected?

If you are using remote desktop connection and remotely accessing your PC or a Lab PC in a building undergoing the network upgrade you will be affected by these changes. After the network upgrade has been completed in an area the computers in that area will have new IP Addresses. To ensure you connect to the correct IP Address use the hostname of your computer when connecting via RDP. e.g. win-adxx-1111.lunet.lboro.ac.uk

Will I be able to access the office/building during the change?

Yes – work will be taking place in communications cabinets, these are typically located in storage areas

I’m in halls, how will this affect me?

The changes in halls will run over a larger period of time however planning for halls considers key teaching periods and aims to avoid these where possible.

I’m doing critical work during the change period that may be affected, who do I contact to discuss this further?

The project team are contactable using the link at the bottom of this section. You can also contact the team if you have a specialist piece of hardware connected to the network.

I have a Linux machine, how will I be impacted?

To connect your Linux machine to the network you must either configure the wired network interface to authenticate using 802.1X or register the MAC Address. If you are using Ubuntu or Fedora visit https://cloudpath.lboro.ac.uk and use tools to configure your device.

For other distributions, you will need to visit https://cloudpath.lboro.ac.uk and choose 'Other Operating Systems'. From there you can download the Certificate Authority and Intermediate Certificate authority. You can also download your identity certificate. Once you have downloaded these three files consult the documentation for your distribution for configuring EAP-TLS 802.1X authentication. If it is not possible to configure 802.1X on the wired interface, it is possible to register the MAC address to identify the machine. Visit https://onboarding.lboro.ac.uk and choose the option:
I am a member of the University (staff or student) with a device that needs MAC address bypass configuring.

Can I test some hardware/devices before the change happens?

Yes – a test network is available for proactive testing, please contact the project team to discuss your requirements.

Contacts and support

For further questions and post install issues, please contact the project team.

Feedback is important to us. To help optimise the network and future projects, please contact the project team or IT Services.

Schedule 2023

Phase 5:

Academic building / Professional Services

Location
 Status
 Planned Date
Security Gatehouse  Planning 07 August
David Davies  Scheduled 14 - 16 August 
S Boilerhouse  Planning  04 September
Weather Station  Planning  On hold
Holywell Zones (GB-FP)  Scheduled May 2023
Holywell Gatehouse  Planning 09 August 
NCCAT  Scheduled On hold
Michael Pearson East  Planning 26 - 30 June
Michael Pearson West  Planning 26 - 30 June
SportPark  Planning 10 - 14 July
ATIC  Planning 12 - 16 June