At a Glance
Company
Purdue University
Region / Country
West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
Industry
Education
Panduit Solution
Category 6 28 AWG UTP patch cords
Category 6A cabling infrastructure
T70 Surface Raceway System
Modernizing Campus Connectivity for a Mobile-First Learning Environment
With wireless connectivity moving from optional to essential, Purdue University embarked on a project to expand and modernize its campus network infrastructure to support increasing device density and performance demands. Working with Panduit solutions, Purdue achieved comprehensive wireless coverage across residence halls and increased wireless capacity throughout academic buildings. The result was a scalable, high-performance network that improved user experiences while maximizing existing infrastructure investments.
Challenges
- Growing demand for reliable wireless connectivity across campus
- Aging residence hall buildings were not designed for modern wireless deployments
- Increasing number of student-owned devices placing higher demands on network capacity
- Rogue wireless routers and access points impacting network performance
- Need to expand wireless coverage without extensive building modifications
Solution
- Deployed Panduit structured cabling infrastructure campus wide
- Leveraged T70 Surface Raceway systems to support wireless access point deployment
- Implemented Category 6 28 AWG patch cords to maximize raceway capacity
- Adopted Category 6A infrastructure standards for academic buildings
- Installed and optimized thousands of wireless access points to improve coverage and capacity
Outcome
- Achieved 100 percent wireless coverage throughout residence halls
- Expanded campus wireless infrastructure to nearly 8,600 access points
- Reduced unauthorized student-installed access points
- Improved wireless performance for growing numbers of connected devices
- Preserved existing infrastructure, reducing installation costs and disruption
- Enhanced agility to support future academic technologies and IP-based services
Challenges
Purdue University serves more than 40,000 students and over 16,000 staff across a large campus environment supported by extensive copper and fiber cabling infrastructure. As wireless connectivity became central to learning, research, and campus operations, the university recognized the need to expand both wireless coverage and network capacity. Residence halls, built decades earlier, presented significant deployment challenges, while increasing numbers of student devices required greater bandwidth and more reliable connectivity throughout academic buildings. Additionally, the institution sought to eliminate issues caused by student-installed wireless equipment.
“We've been really pleased. We know exactly what we're getting when we use Panduit and it frequently outperforms what it was designed to do."
– Daniel Pierce
Manager of Telecommunications Infrastructure Design, Purdue University
The Panduit Strategy and Solution:
To support campus-wide wireless initiatives, Purdue leveraged Panduit structured cabling and pathway solutions. In residence halls, the university utilized existing T70 Surface Raceway systems combined with outlet box deployments that accommodated wireless access points in optimal locations. The deployment incorporated Panduit Category 6 28 AWG patch cords – smaller patch cords that enable more cabling capacity within existing raceways while maintaining aesthetics and avoiding infrastructure replacement.
For academic buildings, Purdue standardized on Category 6A infrastructure to support higher-capacity wireless deployments and future network demands. This approach provided the foundation needed to support data connectivity, Power over Ethernet, and evolving educational technologies.
The Implementation
Purdue's wireless modernization initiative evolved through multiple phases. Initial deployments focused on common student gathering areas before expanding into residence halls and academic facilities. By combining predictive site surveys, structured cabling best practices, and strategic wireless access point placement, the university achieved comprehensive coverage goals while maximizing existing infrastructure investments. The solution enabled efficient deployment throughout older buildings that were not originally designed to support modern wireless networks.
The Outcome
The project successfully delivered full wireless coverage throughout residence halls and increased wireless capacity across academic buildings. Student satisfaction improved as reliable wireless access became available throughout campus environments. The upgrade also reduced the number of unauthorized wireless devices connected to the network, helping preserve network integrity and performance. The scalable Panduit infrastructure continues to support emerging technologies, IP-based services, and future network growth requirements.
