Network Architecture and Support

Service Owner: Fred Williams

NIU’s Division of Information Technology (DoIT) provides data network connectivity to NIU students, faculty and staff, and customers throughout northern Illinois. With connections to both the global Internet and the high-speed academic and research community on Internet2, NIU offers a robust network management service that includes high speed physical and wireless connections in all buildings.

NIU’s network service is actively monitored 7/24/365 for all incidents and performance issues.

Basic features of the network architecture and support service include:

• Address assignments with DHCP or static addressing (for demonstrated need).
• Domain names under niu.edu.
• DNS (Domain Name Service) for hostname translation.
• Multicast (one-to-many) communication for imaging applications, music applications, emergency text notifications and more.
• NAT (Network Address Translation) mapping to remove publicly-exposed IP addresses.
• VPN (Virtual Private Network) authenticated and secure access to campus resources at vpn.niu.edu.

DoIT provides options for installation, maintenance and refresh of camera systems, including IP devices and analog cameras.

• Option 1: full maintenance of a current system, including Help Desk, Break/Fix, Dispatch Support, NVR/Application maintenance and Account setup/support.
• Option 2: full maintenance of a current system, including Help Desk, Break/Fix, Dispatch Support, NVR/Application maintenance, Account setup/support AND Camera/NVR new/refresh/replace.

Off-Campus Customers

DoIT provides ISP services to external customers throughout northern Illinois on NIUNet and provides transport services to iFiber (Illinois Fiber Resources Group). With a fiber optic network through the western Chicago suburbs and northern Illinois, NIUNet serves non-profit community anchor institutions.

The NIU Broadband Development Group provides connectivity solutions to clients and partners in Illinois. Connectivity via a shared high bandwidth infrastructure has become essential for the efficiency of nearly all of today’s business, non-profit, government and healthcare initiatives. Broadband development and the success of economic development initiatives are increasingly entwined.

External projects include:

• Chicago Southland Fiber Network
• DeKalb Advancement of Technology Authority
• Illinois Rural HealthNet
• iFiber
• McHenry County Network Consortium
• Winnebago County Geographic Information System