In the beginning of August, 2000, the Hofstra University School of Law implemented a wireless network in the law school. The wireless network allows students with notebook or laptop computers to access the law school's network resources using a wireless 802.11b ethernet card from anywhere in the law school. The wireless network consists of 28 access points located throughout the building. Each access point is connected to the law school's ethernet backbone network.
Using the wireless cards, students can access the Internet, which gives them access to their E-mail, Lexis, and Westlaw. Also, students can download the Novell Netware client software from the Novell web site on the Internet, which allows them to logon to their student accounts. From their student accounts, students can print to the network lab printers and save documents to their home directory on the network.
Hofstra Law School has partnered with IBM to provide a custom IBM Discount Page where students can purchase either notebook computers with 802.11b/g technology. If you currently have a notebook computer and need to purchase a wireless card, we recommend that you purchase a Proxim Orinoco Gold 802.11b wireless card which you can purchase from various online vendors such as CDW, Microwarehouse, and PC Connection among others, for about $ 70. Just about all 802.11b/g wireless cards work with our 802.11b wireless network, but we recommend that you make sure that your wireless card is WiFi certified. For a list of WiFi certified 802.11b/g wireless cards, click here.
Hofstra Law School implemented the wireless network to give students additional access to the law school's computer resources. The law school already contains over 120 "wired" public access ports which allow students with PCMCIA "wired" 10/100 Base T ethernet cards access to network resources.
If you have any questions about the law school's wireless network or in general about technology in the law school, contact Gary Moore, Assistant Dean for Information Systems at Hofstra University School of Law.
