Wall-Plate Services FAQ
Note: This "Frequently Asked Questions" list
is still in the early stages of development. We anticipate updating it with additional information as we receive questions and feedback from our user community.
General Questions
- Why should my department join the Wall-Plate program?
- Based on the need for robust network connectivity and end-to-end network security, the Provost has provided central funding for Wall-Plate Network Services. Goals for the centrally funded Wall-Plate project and program are:
- Upgrade an aging network infrastructure - electronics and (some) wiring.
- Establish an equipment replacement life cycle - probably every 5 years.
- Enforce security policy and standards -- end-to-end across the network.
- Support the transition to VoIP - by removing network costs from the telephone charge.
Standard Wall-Plate services include:
- Life-cycle replacement of switches on a 5-year schedule. Only enterprise class switches deployed within the network.
- Switch maintenance including security updates, IOS updates, and special configurations.
- Upgrades and design changes to the network as needed.
- End-to-end monitoring and management of network performance, with early detection of problems and timely response.
- Seamless troubleshooting of network problems, end-to-end.
- Support for the existing cable infrastructure. Note -- does not include new installations.
- Basic wireless services in all major areas of the wall-plate buildings
- Availability of VoIP phone services and end-to-end I-Phone support
The table below shows the average expenditures by the customer and by CNS during the Wall-Plate project conversion:
| Basic Wall-Plate Services Customer Expense and CNS Expense |
|---|
| Customer | CNS |
|---|
| Network Electronics (switches, PoE, APs, UPS) |
$0 | $120/port/every 5 years |
| Network Electronics staff support cost
| $0 | $80/port/over 5 years |
| Communication closet (patch cables, cable management, and fiber interconnects between closets) |
$0 | $40/port |
| Installation of additional fiber-optic cable from building to Core network in support of redundant network for VoIP services |
$0 |
~$6,000 per building as needed |
| Installation of additional horizontal cables from closet to workstation |
~$250/cable as needed |
$0 |
| 7940 VoIP phone |
$140/phone |
$140/phone |
| VoIP phone installation | $20/phone | $20/phone |
| Additional Services (one time charges) |
|---|
| Customer | CNS |
|---|
| Upgrade to gigabit network service to the desktop | $600/24 ports | $0 |
| Additional Wireless APs beyond basic wireless service | ~$800/AP | $0 |
| Expansion of existing port count 100Mb to the desktop | $2400/24 ports | $0 |
| Expansion of existing port count 100Mb + PoE to the desktop | $3240/24 ports | $0 |
| Expansion of existing port count Gigabit to the desktop | $3000/24 ports | $0 |
| Expansion of existing port count Gigabit + PoE to the desktop | $3600/24 ports | $0 |
- How many switch ports will Wall-Plate cover, campus-wide, and what happens when there is substantial growth?
- Originally we were funded based on a count of 25,000 ports, but
we're actually looking at 30,000 ports going into this next phase
of the Wall-Plate project. For now, we are anticipating that price-performance improvements will keep us within budget. However, continued growth will eventually require additional funding.
Policy Questions
- What are the policy guidelines for Wall-Plate ports?
-
See "Wall-Plate User Guidelines [PDF]
- What is the process to move forward with
the Wall-Plate project for our building?
- John Madey and the technical leader of the team assigned to each
building will reach out to decision-makers in the building,
starting 3-4 months in advance of expected installation (except
July 1, 2007 buildings). There will be a
discussion of whether the users wish to opt-in, and what
additional services the users desire. Then a
walk-through with the team leader and building users will evaluate
the existing infrastructure. A shopping list of required
infrastructure upgrades, if any, will be prepared. After the
upgrades are in place, the network engineers will discuss details
of switches and VLANs, and then the installation process will
proceed.
- What choices are there after we opt-in?
- Additional options include gigabit to the desktop, and VoIP
phones. There is a 50% cost-sharing plan for new VoIP handsets in
new Wall-Plate conversions which opt for VoIP. Also, the required
power-over-ethernet (PoE) switches will be supplied at no
additional cost if the users choose VoIP at the time of Wall-Plate
installation. Current VoIP handsets have pass-through ports for
one PC each, so there is no net loss of data ports to add VoIP
handsets.
- There are multiple departments/units in my building. What is the level of granularity at which organization(s) can choose whether to opt-in or not?
- We're looking at adding Wall-Plate on a whole-building level. If
there is a difference of opinion between occupants, eg. in a
multi-department building, then their higher administration,
ie. the college, will become involved to help determine the
decision. Cross-college buildings will be handled on a
case-by-case basis where needed. In the past, some spaces were
given Wall-Plate service at less than the building level, and a
great deal of confusion and interference resulted from the lack of
coordination.
Schedule Issues
- What if implementation in my building conflicts with other activities I have scheduled?
- Several months prior to your building being scheduled for Wall-Plate implementation, the director(s) of program(s) residing in that building will be contacted to arrange final details. If it is determined that the necessary Wall-Plate work will conflict with other activities in that building, the building will be rescheduled for work at a later date, to be determined by the needs of the department(s) and the Wall-Plate implementation teams.
- How much down-time will implementation cause in my building?
- Very little. Network down-time will be minimized insofar as possible, and kept to times and days where it will cause the least possible inconvenience. The actual number of outages and the length of each will be a function of the complexity of the work that has to be done in that particular building. Implementation teams will work closely with occupants to minimize the impact of any necessary outages.
- Can I get moved up in the schedule?
- The Wall-Plate implementation schedule is necessarily very complex, and any changes to it are likely to have impact considerably beyond the department(s) requesting the change. As a result, relatively few changes are anticipated.
That said, the existing schedule has buildings which require significant internal infrastructure upgrades (re-wiring) scheduled later in the process because the occupants of those buildings are likely to require that lead-time to accomplish the necessary prerequisite upgrades.
In cases where the occupants take the initiative to implement the needed upgrades sooner, they may ask to be rescheduled for earlier Wall-Plate implementation. Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Can a department upgrade its infrastructure to move ahead on the installation schedule?
- Upgrading the infrastructure is a necessary prerequisite for
Wall-Plate installation, but it is not sufficient to move a
building ahead on the list by itself. Interested users should
contact CNS when they've upgraded their infrastructure to discuss
scheduling.
Building Issues
- How were the scores for each building calculated?
- The scores are based on criteria including existence and
security of dedicated telecommunications space, modernity of
existing wiring, closet wire management, number and type of extant
switches, and whether gear is rack-mounted.
- Over time, wiring ages and degrades; what plans do you have for rewiring buildings 10 - 15 years from now?
- This is another example of the need for recurring funding for life- cycle facilities and equipment upgrade and replacement. The Wall-Plate project includes equipment replacement, about every 5-years. At present, future wiring upgrades are not included in the Wall-Plate service.
- Are off campus buildings included?
- No. Off-campus buildings are not included in the Wall-Plate project.
- What about buildings that are not on your list?
- Some of them are being fed by larger buildings, and we'll handle them as part of the work on the larger building. Some may be too far out from central campus, and will be addressed in a future project. Please ask us about your buildings and we will let you know their status.
- Can a department self-perform infrastructure upgrades, or do
they need to use outside contractors?
- Departments may perform upgrades so long as they meet all of the
current wiring standards, including test results and labeling to
UF standards. There is a list of pre-approved wiring contractors
who can perform infrastructure upgrades, and they all know how to
meet the current wiring standards.
- There is a University policy that says all new construction and major renovation will go Wall-Plate and VoIP. How will this affect Weil Hall if the phase II renovation is completed over the next 5 to 10 years?
-
If Weil Hall is not Wall-Plate at the time of the next major renovation then it will be converted to Wall-Plate and VoIP at the time of the renovation therefore it is recommended that Weil should go Wall-Plate now.
- The design of the New Engineering Building did not include space for servers. Over the years Engineering has deployed departmental servers in the telecommunication rooms. Will Engineering be able to leave the existing servers in the telecommunication rooms?
-
Telecommunication rooms should not be used as fileserver rooms. Most telecommunication rooms on campus were only designed for analog telephony service and were never designed to house network electronics or fileservers. New construction and major renovation should include space in the design for fileservers independent of the telecommunication rooms. For buildings with full size telecommunication rooms (10'x12' or larger), departments may requests exceptions for maintaining existing fileservers in telecommunication rooms. Even though exceptions may be granted for existing equipment, departments should plan over the long term to remove fileservers from telecommunication closets or rooms. Requests will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- The security, support and maintenance of the Wall-Plate infrastructure and electronics must not be jeopardized by the server presence.
- Cooling capacity of the room is adequate for the anticipated heat load (ambient temperature not to exceed 80øF).
- Servers shall be rack mounted in a secure enclosure independent of the network infrastructure or electronics.
- Server rack shall not interfere with access to the network infrastructure and electronics racks.
- Access to the room shall be limited to authorized personnel.
- Local server support staff must not attempt to configure, modify or access network infrastructure or electronics.
- Adequate electrical facilities are available independent of the network electrical services and UPS capacity.
- Can technical staff continue to have access to the telecommunication rooms under the Wall-Plate program?
- Local technical staff may request access to Telecommunication rooms. Technical support staff must not attempt to configure, modify or access Wall-Plate network infrastructure or electronics. All port activations and changes shall be submitted via the CNS web page or by calling 392-2061.
Data-Port Issues
- What if I want more ports (than I have now)?
- The Wall-Plate service is intended to upgrade and maintain all existing ports to a standard level of service. Existing ports will be upgraded, but additional ports will not be installed as part of this process, unless the department is willing to pay the full cost of installation -- roughly $200/port.
- Will you wire currently-unwired spaces, like our lobby, lounge, or courtyard?
- See previous question & answer.
- How were the network port counts for the
Wall-Plate project made?
- Switch ports in use (plugged into a jack) in each TR were
counted manually. Non-exhaustive attempts to count switch ports
outside TRs were also undertaken. If you have switch port counts
which significantly differ from the CNS numbers, contact CNS in
advance of your scheduled Wall-Plate migration time.
- What happens when later we need more hot jacks
than there are available ports on the closet switches?
- There will be an impact fee for additional switch ports when
users fill up the existing switch ports. Wall-Plate build-outs
will have approximately 10% extra ports in the closet. New ports
will be added in multiples of 24 ports. The users will decide
whether a 24- or, 48-port switches are appropriate to their
expansion plans in coordination with CNS.
- When will the Wall-Plate Network Edge Protection Roll-Out happen?"
- See the Wall-Plate Network Edge Protection memo [PDF]
-
Many departments have deployed external network devices such as hubs, switches, or routers in offices and work areas to avoid the cost of installing additional cables back to the telecommunications closet. As part of the Wall-Plate program will departments be required to remove these external devices from the network?
-
The Wall-Plate program provides a reliable, secure, high performance network by deploying Cisco enterprise class network hardware to all users. The hardware is continuously monitored and maintained by CNS, and is periodically upgraded and replaced about every five years. This equipment has the ability to autonomously detect and respond to many network problems by activating alternate communication pathways or disabling connections to devices that are disrupting network service. This automatic problem detection and response happens in seconds whereas human monitoring and intervention typically takes about thirty minutes to an hour to detect and resolve similar problems.
While the Wall-Plate program provides and maintains the network electronics, the departments are responsible for the cost of the network cabling from the telecommunication closet to the workstation. The cost of this cabling starts at about $250 for a single cable install and increases by about $75 for each additional cable going to the same faceplate. Because of the cost many departments choose to install low cost consumer grade switches in the work area to increase the number of workstation connections in an area rather than installing additional cabling back to the telecommunication closet.
Consumer grade network devices are not appropriate for use in an enterprise network and are frequently the source of network problems. Many of these devices actually inhibit the Wall-Plate network from automatically detecting and correcting network problems. Other problems are caused when devices are misconfigured or connected incorrectly creating "network loops".
In order to provide a reliable and secure network for all users of the Wall-Plate network and VoIP telephony system departments must not attach external devices such as hubs, switches, routers or wireless access points to the Wall-Plate network. Exceptions may be granted for special needs such as technical staff work areas, one time special events, or temporary use of hardware Firewalls by technical staff to isolate workstations from the network during software installation and patching. All exceptions must be coordinated with CNS.
- You only counted active ports on switches you located. We have
several additional in offices plugged into some of the switch ports. Are you going to upgrade these extra hub ports?
- You will have to pay for proper wiring of those "extra" ports first. Then we will upgrade and manage them as part of the Wall-Plate Project
If there is ever a
special/temporary need for a hub, you will need to discuss the justification
with us. They may be used as a temporary stop-gap until proper wiring to
the closet can be established. All spaces served by the Wall-Plate
project should have jacks terminated in the TRs, and a one-to-one
port to machine ratio. VoIP phones act as pass-through
connections, and thus take no additional ports or wiring.
The Wall-Plate project supports "bench switches" in IT
staff locations for dynamic activities such as new PC deployment
and workbench trouble-shooting. These are standard Cisco switches
like the rest of the Wall-Plate installation, but without the
redundant network path and UPS which switches in the closets
have. Bench switches will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
- What about server rack switches?
- Wall-Plate is about end-user spaces. Server rooms are controlled
by the users' IT staff, and they may continue to control their
intra-server-room switches for ease of server management.
- What about labs with switches in the room?
- In the long run, all Wall-Plate supported network jacks should
terminate in a TR. Labs will be considered on a case-by-case basis
to determine whether they warrant a remote TR, need wiring to the
existing TR, or other provisioning. Both new wiring to existing
TRs, and creation of additional TR locations, will have user costs
associated with them.
- Will the Wall-Plate project match existing gigabit to the
desktop installations without surcharges at the time of
implementation?
- Because of the additional cost of hardware, gigabit ports will
require a $600 per 24-port switch one-time fee, even where
departments already provide gigabit to their desktop clients. User
who plan to combine gigabit with VoIP should call for additional
pricing and technical information.
- Does the Wall-Plate program support fiber-optic to the desktop?
-
The Wall-Plate program supports VoIP and 10/100 megabit network service over Category 5, 5e, or 6 copper cables and supports gigabit network service over Category 5e or 6 cables. For the gigabit service there is a one time charge to cover the additional expense of the gigabit electronics. Fiber-optic to the desktop is a special service beyond the scope of the Wall-Plate project.
- Does the approximate $200/port additional wiring charge include
switch ports in the closet?
- Yes, if there are open ports. Large additions where the ports in the closet run out, will require additional user costs for new switches.
- Is Wireless access included in the Wall-Plate project?
- Yes. CNS will provide a wireless signal for simple connectivity throughout the entire building. The user may choose to buy additional Wireless Access Points (WAPs) to be administered by CNS if higher density wireless usage is required.
- CNS promotes the use of wireless as a low cost alternative to department's statements about the cost of installing additional cables. This appears to be in contradiction to University policy that says wired connections should be used rather than wireless for security purposes?
-
The Wall-Plate program provides basic wireless coverage for each building using the latest available wireless technology. There have been significant advances in wireless technology that greatly improves wireless performance and security since the original policies were written. The latest wireless technology can potentially deliver a service level for most users that is comparable to the service level provided by consumer grade hubs and switches. CNS will be evaluating these policies and asking for an updated University policy reflecting the advancements in wireless technology.
- Can departments get Walkup Internet Port Authentication (WIPA) without the Wall-Plate service?
- Yes, but non-Wall-Plate departments would be required to pay for any additional cost associated with the deployment.
VoIP Issues
- What if I already have Wall-Plate service, and want to add VoIP?
- Existing Wall-Plate customers are on a periodic refresh cycle, and this new initiative is scheduled so as to allow us the resources to maintain those commitments to our existing customers. Current Wall-Plate (only) customers desiring to add VoIP service will be scheduled at the time of their next equipment life-cycle upgrade.
- Can I get VoIP Telephone Service without Wall-Plate service?
- No. VoIP telephone service will only be installed for Wall-Plate
customers.
- Can we buy refurbished VoIP-phones?
- There may be licensing issues; the Cisco license fee has to be paid for each phone hooked up to a Cisco Call Manager system. Please consult
with us before purchasing any used/refurbished telephone sets.
- Instead of PoE, can we just get our electrical power for our VoIP
phones from wall-plugs (IP phone power transformer boxes)?
- Yes. However, this choice has ramifications which may not be immediately obvious. Please contact us so we can discuss how this may affect your service.
- What if I don't want to convert to VoIP services right now, but I
want to put in PoE switches so I have the option of going VoIP in the
future?
- You can do that, but you'll have to pay the cost-difference between non-PoE & PoE switches ($840 for each 24-port switch)
- Will the VoIP Phone special wall-plate price also apply to existing wall-plate customers or new buildings?
- The incentive VoIP pricing only applies to current wall-plate departments when they are in their electronics refresh cycle. Projects involving new construction and major renovations will include funding for the actual costs of network electronics and VoIP phones.
- Will less expensive, non-Cisco (SIP standard) VoIP handsets be
allowed?
- Currently the Cisco central system's operating software does not
include support for SIP phones. CNS plans to upgrade the central
software in the next 12 months to include support for SIP
handsets.
- If a building goes to VoIP, can Centrex (direct copper) lines be
retained in the building?
- Yes, there can be a mix of VoIP and Centrex lines in a building,
especially for alarms and similar needs.
- What is the price difference between VoIP and non-VoIP phones
under the new telephone line charging algorithm?
- There will no longer be monthly rental or maintenence fees for handsets.
- A Centrex line is
$19.60/month.
- A Centrex line to a key system has an
additional $7.00/month surcharge, for a total price of
$26.60/month.
- A VoIP line is $12.20/month.
All monthly costs include basic
line charges and fees. Centrex lines without a key system may have
optional voicemail for an additional $4.00/month. New VoIP
handsets are available through CNS Telecommunications.
See the CNS Telecommunications Web-site
for details.
