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Rutgers Next-Gen Network

Next-gen Network Enhancements

Next-Gen Network enhancements

Enhancing and expanding WiFi at Rutgers

As a part of the Rutgers Next-Gen Network project, IT staff are working to improve and expand Wi-Fi in buildings across all campuses. This will lay the foundation to support emerging technologies and to keep up with the explosion of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and Internet of Things (IoT) trends in the technology industry. Some of the Wi-Fi upgrades include:


Refreshing infrastructure with next-generation Wi-Fi 6E access points


Doubling the amount of wireless spectrum and providing wireless service with ultra-high capacity


Integrating updated Cloud management and AI to deliver unprecedented reliability and predictability


Streamlining support efficiency with proactive notifications and problem detection

Upgrading network equipment

In order to keep the network running efficiently, network equipment needs to be upgraded to keep up with the speed and resilience the community requires. In addition to making improvements to the data core and network security, some of the network equipment upgrades include:

Replacing 20-year-old switches to enhance reliability
Expanding or rerouting segments of outside fiber optic cable for resiliency and speed
Upgrading inter-campus connectivity from 10Gbps to 100Gbps connections
Migrating regional connectivity to NJEdge optical networking, increasing capacity to 400Gbps to accommodate education and research

Upgrading end-of-life network hardware and improving vendor support and management
Implementing network segmentation, isolation and security capabilities across the Rutgers community
Enabling enhanced monitoring of remote locations to fix and address network outages, which means troubleshooting, diagnosing, and addressing any issues quicker.

Replacing blue light phones

The Office of Information Technology has been working with University Public Safety to improve public safety by upgrading the emergency phone infrastructure throughout all campuses. This ongoing project has been completed for Rutgers–Camden and Rutgers–Newark and is underway for Rutgers–New Brunswick with an anticipated completion date of 2023. Some benefits of the upgrade include:


New solar-powered blue light phones with a battery backup


Daily reports of system health


Phones will now be managed and monitored by an external vendor, Knightscope, for 24/7 support