Network
Network 2020 Project
Wired network upgrade
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.
Schedule
Phase 1 & 2:
June 2021 - December 2021
| Planned date | Academic building / Professional Services | Halls of residence |
|---|---|---|
| w/c 20th September | - | William Morris |
Phase 3:
January 2022 - April 2022
| Planned date | Academic building / Professional Services |
|---|---|
| 24th – 28th January | Hazlerigg Building / FM Buildings / Spinney Hill Toilets |
| 31st January | ECB |
| 2nd – 4th February | HiPac / Seb Coe / Paula Radcliffe Athletics Pavilion |
| 7th - 8th February | Holywell Houses + Fairmount (Incl Whitehouse) |
| 10th February | Bridgeman Building |
| 11th February | Student Accomodation Centre - Campus Living |
| 16th February | EHB |
| 17th February | FM / Geography |
| 21st February | Admin One Building |
| 3rd March | Schofield Building |
| 4th March | Stewart Mason Building |
| 8th March | Rutland Building |
| 10th March | Edward Barnsley Building |
| 15th March | LUFS / Martial Arts |
| 17th March | Medical Centre |
| 21st March | Students Union |
| 22nd March | SU Campus Nursery |
| 24th March | SBE - Richard Morris Building |
| 25th March | Graham Dilley |
| 29th – 30th March | William Morris Refectory & Warden Lodge |
| 1st April | Swimming Pool |
| 5th - 7th April | Haslegrave Building |
| 11th – 12th April | Brockington & Brockington Extension |
| 13th – 14th April | James France Building |
Phase 4:
May 2022 - August 2022
Completed
| Location | Completed |
|---|---|
| Graduate House (Angela Marmont) | Monday 26 October |
| Netball/Badminton Centre | Wednesday 28 October |
| IT Services (Holywell) | Thursday 29 October |
| Hall - Towers | Monday 12 April |
| Holywell Park - Zones GA, GG, GJ | Tuesday 13 April |
| Library - Floor 1 | Wednesday 5 May |
| Library - Floor 2 | Thursday 6 May |
| John Clements | Friday 4 June |
| Tennis Centre | Friday 4 June |
| Martin Hall | Wednesday 9 June |
| John Beckwith | Thursday 17 June |
| David Wallace | Friday 18 June |
| Imago Sales | Tuesday 22 June |
| Matthew Arnold | Friday 2 July |
| Royce (Halls of residence) | Friday 9 July |
| Cayley (Halls of residence) | Tuesday 13 July |
| Rutherford (Halls of residence) | Friday 16 July |
| Butler Court (Halls of residence) | Wednesday 21 July |
| Falkner Eggington (Halls of residence) | Friday 30 July |
| Telford (Halls of residence) | Friday 6 August |
| David Collett (Halls of residence) | Friday 13 August |
| NCSEM / Loughborough Design School | Friday 20 August |
| PEC / Gymnastics / John Cooper | Friday 27 August |
| Claudia Parsons (Halls of residence) | Friday 10 September |
| Holt (Halls of residence) | Friday 10 September |
| Clyde Williams | Friday 10 September |
| Faraday | Friday 17 September |
| Library - Floor 4 | Monday 15 November |
| Pilkington Library (Level 3 & 3a) | Tuesday 14 December |
| Car Park 7 Locations | Monday 20 December |
Post upgrade guidance
Following the upgrade:
If you previously connected a personal laptop or computer to the wired network, you will be required register your device to connect to the new network.
- Connect the ethernet cable to your device
- Open a web browser and go to https://onboarding.lboro.ac.uk.
- Follow prompts to complete registration
Please note that 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 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, please do not hesitate to contact the project team Network2020@lboro.ac.uk
Should you have any specific requirements or require support for an issue please contact the Service Desk or your Local Park IT Support representative.
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.
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 via network2020@lboro.ac.uk.
I have a specialist piece of hardware connected to the network – how will this be affected?
Please contact the project team: network2020@lboro.ac.uk to discuss your individual situation.
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:
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.
Who can I contact for more information?
Please speak to your local Park IT team or email bp@lboro.ac.uk or network2020@lboro.ac.uk with any queries you have.
Important information
- The project will run until 2022 with implementations and network changes commencing in October 2020
- 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.
*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.