INTRODUCTION

India’s REVA University is an acclaimed, multi-functional place of learning, focusing on superior education and an enjoyable quality of life for its students. Wireless connectivity plays an essential role in making all this happen, so REVA decided to replace old technology with a solution from NETGEAR, which was chosen after evaluating multiple vendors. Results include higher-speed, more reliable WiFi in student hostels, academic buildings, libraries and recreational areas, plus seamless roaming across the campus and simplified network management for the IT team.

BACKGROUND

Located in the state of Karnataka in India, REVA University supports over 15,000 students on its campus and offers a diverse range of academic programs in engineering, science and technology, architecture, commerce, law, management studies, social sciences, arts and humanities, performing arts, and Indic studies. REVA has received many accolades and accreditations, both nationally and worldwide. REVA also focuses on providing an enjoyable, rewarding place for its students to live and learn.

CHALLENGE

Like any modern university dedicated to giving its students and faculty staff a consistently high-quality on-site experience, REVA University depends on network connectivity across the campus to seamlessly connect users, devices, systems, and buildings, with the flexibility that wireless technology provides essential to daily operations, teaching, learning and living, especially with so many users and devices in simultaneous use.

However, the existing WiFi 5 access points were beginning to experience performance problems, particularly in the student hostels, which was becoming an increasing issue. REVA is dedicated to the well-being of its students and—WiFi connectivity aside—has invested in exemplary on-site accommodation, equipped with a wide range of facilities to maximize student comfort, set against a backdrop of lush greenery.

Beyond the hostel areas, REVA connectivity issues were also being felt in other parts of the campus. Apart from its inconsistent performance, the existing WiFi infrastructure was not easily scalable. So, the university decided it was time for an upgrade.

SOLUTION

Among other vendors, NETGEAR was allowed to showcase its capabilities. After being carefully evaluated over a few months, it was selected to take REVA’s connectivity to the next level and overcome existing limitations. NETGEAR recommended:

New WiFi 6 access points – making the most of the more modern WiFi technology for better coverage and support across simultaneous users and devices

Maximised roaming – to support seamless, high-speed internet access across the campus

Centralised network management – to enable IT staff to support users more easily.

A 10Gb network backbone – to ensure high-speed, robust connectivity, essential to support 1000+ users

RESULTS

The starting point was to address the hostels’ connectivity requirements. NETGEAR successfully deployed 215 access points and 10 (10G Managed Switch), so students now benefit from reliable, fast connectivity in the rooms and shared hostel areas. This first project went well, with the university impressed by NETGEAR product performance and support, so it extended the deployment to other parts of the campus, including academic buildings, libraries and recreational areas, supported by more than 80 NETGEAR Layer 2 switches and 15+ Layer 3 switches featuring a 10Gb uplink.

In addition, NETGEAR Insight means the head of IT and his staff can centrally monitor and manage the network—including configuration, troubleshooting, and rebooting—all from a single view and remotely via the cloud.

With NETGEAR’s WiFi 6 technology and 10G backbone infrastructure, REVA University has transformed its campus into a fully connected, future-ready learning environment. The partnership continues to expand, demonstrating the value of reliable, scalable, and cost-effective wireless networking solutions in modern education.

KITLIST

• WAX625 WiFi Access Points – 215 units in the hostel areas alone
• GSM4328PA 10G managed switches – 10 units
• NETGEAR Insight – cloud-based network management portal

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