The Foundation for the Promotion of the Rapperswil-Jona Location of the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences (OST) operates the two student residences I and II in Jona. Together, they provide 188 students with affordable accommodation directly next to the campus.

Due to the high fluctuation within the shared flats and the resulting administrative effort, it is not feasible for each unit to operate its own self-managed network. To ensure a stable and secure environment, a central, professionally maintained WLAN is essential – especially in a setting where many devices are connected simultaneously and the user structure changes continuously.

To meet this need, the foundation provides students with a unified WLAN across the entire residential area. It is based on our flexible WLAN guest access solution mpp and the Cisco infrastructure we operate.

During the semester break, we were able to carry out a comprehensive modernization on behalf of the foundation:

• Uplink upgrade to 10 Gbit/s: The internet connection was increased from 1 Gbit/s to 10 Gbit/s, ensuring sufficient capacity even during peak usage, such as when many users are surfing or streaming video at the same time.

• Renewal of the WLAN infrastructure: In residence I, the aging access points were replaced with modern Cisco 9162I devices. These support Wi-Fi 6/6E technology, allow for higher client densities per access point, and enable more efficient channel utilization when many endpoints are active.

Students now benefit from improved, cross-apartment and free WLAN access.