With a bustling campus that includes conference centres and other visitor facilities, Loughborough University needed a reliable and secure Captive Portal solution to accommodate everyone using the network.
Loughborough University, renowned for its sports programs and home to one of the UK’s largest and greenest campuses, is a leading institution that hosts thousands of students, staff, and visitors daily.
Their existing Captive Portal system was no longer fit for purpose, struggling to meet the needs of the staff, students, and many visitors. To resolve these issues, Performance Networks partnered with Loughborough’s IT team to design a custom Captive Portal solution to improve user experience and reduce the strain on their IT support staff.
Challenge
The university’s existing system could not handle the growing demand from visitors. The IT team faced several challenges:
Poor user experience: The existing Wi-Fi portal didn’t provide consistent guest access experience across the campus.
Guest Wi-Fi management: Loughborough needed a Captive Portal solution to segregate guest users and manage access securely.
Limited IT resources: The IT team wanted to outsource the running, maintenance and support for their guest WiFi, making the solution easier to manage. The goal was to improve the overall experience, enhance network security, and provide better guest Wi-Fi management without overhauling the entire infrastructure.
Solution
After thorough consultation with Loughborough University’s IT team to understand their pain points, Performance Networks developed a solution that integrated with the university’s existing hardware, keeping costs down while delivering significant improvements. Our approach included:
Captive Portal Integration: To address the need for a segregated guest network, we implemented a Captive Portal with a code system. The codes change dynamically, providing a secure and gated guest Wi-Fi experience and reducing the risk of unauthorised access. This approach allows visitors to access Wi-Fi without putting pressure on the university IT team.
Simplified Management: With the new system and guest WiFi support now handled by Performance Networks, the IT team no longer needs to dedicate any resources to guest Wi-Fi issues. The solution was designed to be easily manageable, allowing the IT team time to focus on other tasks.
Results
The new Captive Portal solution provided by Performance Networks transformed Loughborough University’s guest access, offering greater security and a better user experience for all.
Ongoing Support
Loughborough University continues to work with Performance Networks for ongoing proactive support and service reviews. We ensure the system remains optimised and scalable to meet future demands as the university grows and its network needs evolve.
Conclusion
Performance Networks successfully delivered a tailored Captive Portal solution for Loughborough University, improving guest Wi-Fi management and reducing the IT team’s workload. The project demonstrates our commitment to providing bespoke, cost-effective network solutions that integrate with existing systems, offering long-term value and scalability.
If you are facing similar Wi-Fi challenges, Performance Networks has the expertise to design and implement solutions that meet your specific needs.
”Loughborough University is a sizable UK University with a campus spanning 540 acres, conference centres, event venues, hotels, and sports organisations. Daily, large numbers of visitors come to both our Loughborough and London campuses, and we have a requirement to provide them with Internet access.
We were looking for a solution that could handle large numbers of guest users without impacting device throughput. Having previously managed an in-house captive portal, we decided we needed a complete solution managed and supported by a third party that met our guest wireless networking needs.
The Performance Networks solution was easy to integrate with our existing wireless infrastructure and monitoring. It has exceeded our expectations and has been well received by users. Deploying the Performance Networks solution has reduced the management and support overhead for our guest wireless solution.
Scott Armitage, Senior Network Specialist
