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(The term mobility network is used to refer to the new standard that will be implemented gradually all around campus and replaces Harvard's traditional network.)

Definitions

Traditional network: individual wall jacks configured to a specific network (regardless of what device is plugged into it)

Mobility network: allows the wall jack to be dynamically configured depending on the device that's connected to it. Mobility networking allows you to keep your individual network access as you move around campus while ensuring other users won't gain your network access if they plug into the same jack you had previously used. The software that implements mobility networking is called ClearPass, and you might hear us using both terms (mobility and clearpass network) indistinctly and interchangeably. The term mobility network is used to refer to the new standard that will be implemented gradually all around campus and replaces Harvard's traditional network.

Implementation Schedule

While the plan for mobility networking is to eventually be deployed everywhere at the University level, the rollout will not happen until network hardware changes can be implemented. New buildings will have mobility networking from the beginning. SEAS buildings will be transitioned to mobility networking in late spring 2020 (decisions are on hold because of COVID-19 planning and schedule changes).

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Buildings

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and Types of Networks

Mobility networking can only work in buildings with the right network hardware. Unfortunately, buildings we share with other schools have not yet been updated.

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• 60 Oxford Street
• NorthWest Labs
• Lise

Types of

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Mobility

There are two types of mobility networks:

Building mobility

This is the type that is closermore similar, in terms of implementation, performance and characteristics, to the traditional network. It still allows for dynamic port configuration, but the networks are only available in a single building (or two within the same network region). The geographical restriction allows for better network performance which is required for some high traffic applications like in-class video capture or research data.

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A campus mobility network allows for a network to be anywhere on the different Harvard campuses (as long as those buildings are mobility-enabled). For that to happen there is a performance hit as traffic is tunneled upstream (to date it is unclear how much that performance hit is; it's definitely not recommended for networks with remote storage needs).

A lab network can, on With a campus mobility setting, expand  a lab network can expand the wire and the wireless realm, which might be convenient for those working with wireless devices. The restriction is that the network can only run on Harvard Secure (not Harvard University which is not secure).

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1. What if I move across buildings?
   
   1. From a mobility-enabled building to another mobility-enabled building
      
      1. Let SEAS Field support Support know if you have specific network requirements. For performance reasons, not all networks are available in all buildings, and if you have a static IP, that may need to be changed.
   2. From a mobility-enabled building to a building with traditional networking
      

      1. Let SEAS Field support Support know if you have specific network requirements. They will let you know if it is possible to keep your previous network , or if you will need to be put on a new one.

   3. From a building with traditional to a mobility-enabled building

      1. Let SEAS Field support Support know if you have specific network requirements. They will let you know if it is possible to keep your previous network, or if you will need to be put on a new one.

   4. From traditional to traditional
      1. Please provide Field support Support the jack you are moving from and to, and whether you have specific networking needs.
2. What about Allston?
   1. Allston is already setup for full mobility networking.
   2. The networks in Allston are different from those in Cambridge.
   3. We've designed the networks so that the move doesn't impact you. The transition to mobility happens first in Cambridge so that Allston is not a concern during the move.
   4. I'm a research group with my own network:  If your lab has a network, please work with SEAS Computing to coordinate the move of that network to your new location in Allston (or within Cambridge).
      
      1. Depending on your needs, it might be possible to make your lab network available on both sides of the river (campus mobility). Our objective is to make this change as transparent as possible for you.

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If you experience issues and aren't getting connectivity out of a wall jack, please follow this these steps:

1. Are there leds LEDs on your network interface (in within your computer end)?device) that are lit up? 
   1. If there aren't: It could be that the jack is not enabled. That requires for the network team to physically activate that wall jack or for you to find another one.
   2. If there are: your device may not be registered, in . In most cases, opening a browser should automatically redirect you to https://getonline.harvard.edu if . If it doesn't happen, manually type in the address and follow the instructions like you've done with your wireless devices.
2. Are you daisy-chained do to a phone?
   
   1. In order to get the right network or if your role has been changed, make sure you disconnect the phone from the jack on the wall AND then disconnect the computer from the phone.
3. As mentioned before, not all networks exist on all buildings, if . If you have moved, you might need to contact us to make changes to your configuration.

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• If you moved, it could be that your network is not on in that location
• If you have the IP hard-coded on to your computer, please remove that configuration and let us know of your need for a fixed IP. Hard coding IPs makes the network unstable and makes our work to track potential issues much harder.

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