IT Pro Expectations

The project team will coordinate with building IT Professionals and Facility Coordinators throughout each phase of the Next Generation Aggie Network.

Key Project Phases

We will rely on building IT Professionals and Facility Coordinators to grant access to all building locations and facilitate communication with building occupants as needed.

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Building Audits

Network team members and outside vendors will conduct "walk tests" of each building to test wireless signal strength, inspect switches and determine areas where new fiber and wireless access points will need to be added. You may see groups of people examining portions of your building at this time.

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Fiber Installation

Fiber will be run to buildings where needed. Existing fiber will be replaced with faster single-mode fiber. These installations/upgrades may require running wire through ceilings and could cause some noise and/or dust. Network interruptions should be minimal.

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Wireless Installation

The number of access points will double across campus. Older access points will be upgraded. Service interruptions should be non-existent or minimal. Signal strength and connection speed may increase, however full benefits will come after network switch updates and fiber installation are complete.

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Wired Updates

Installing new network switches will require extensive collaboration with local IT Pros. To ensure network switch updates go smoothly in your building, there are certain steps you must complete.

See the Wired Upgrade Checklist

  1. Zone Kick-Off Meetings:

    IT Professionals and Facility Coordinators from all buildings in your zone will receive an invite to a Zone kick-off meeting to discuss planned work and answer any questions. The Zone meetings will be virtual only.

  2. Building/Department Meetings:

    In-person meetings will be scheduled with IT Professionals in each building to review the Wired Upgrade Checklist and finalize details for updates in the building.

  3. Subnet Readdressing:

    Some devices in your building will be readdressed during the upgrade to comply with current IP address allocation plans. If you are using a DHCP, a reboot of the end device may be all that is necessary. Devices with static IP addresses will need to be reconfigured.

  4. Building Network Change Freeze:

    There will be a planned period of time where no changes should be made as new networking equipment is configured.

  5. Building Switch Installation + Network Transition:

    The new switches will be activated in your building. Wired and wireless connections in your building will experience announced outages during this period. Once complete, the transition to the Next Generation Aggie Network officially begins and connection speeds should increase.

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Next-Gen Project Progress

The campus was divided into 12 zones to facilitate Next-Gen Network. Use the interactive map to find your zone and track work progress.

See the progress

Have questions about the Next-Gen Network? Email nextgen@tamu.edu.