Objectives

The primary objective of the tender is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the University of Johannesburg's network infrastructure and Wi-Fi systems. This includes evaluating current network performance, identifying areas for improvement, and recommending upgrades to enhance coverage, security, and capacity to support high-density user environments and modern applications.

Scope

The scope encompasses the following key components:

• Infrastructure analysis across multiple campuses and remote sites, including site surveys and hardware assessments.
• Evaluation of access point placement, channel configuration, transmit power, and hardware hardware upgrades, including transitioning to Wi-Fi 6E.
• Active and passive Wi-Fi surveys to measure signal strength, interference, throughput, latency, and packet loss.
• Assessment of user density, application requirements, and bandwidth needs, especially during peak hours.
• Implementation of QoS policies, VLAN segmentation, and security protocols such as WPA3 and VLAN segmentation.
• Development of recommendations for infrastructure upgrades, hardware replacements, and security enhancements.
• Phased assessment including planning, network mapping, security, performance, Wi-Fi, configuration, and compliance evaluations.

Technical Requirements

The technical requirements include:

• Conducting detailed site surveys with heatmaps to identify coverage gaps and interference sources.
• Reassessing and optimizing AP placement, channel usage, and transmit power levels.
• Replacing outdated hardware with Wi-Fi 6(802.11ax) or Wi-Fi 6E compatible access points and multigigabit switches supporting NBASE-T Ethernet.
• Performing active and passive Wi-Fi surveys to measure network performance metrics such as throughput, latency, and interference.
• Analyzing user density and application usage patterns to inform capacity planning.
• Implementing QoS policies and VLAN segmentation to prioritize critical applications and segregate traffic.
• Assessing and enhancing network security protocols, including WPA3 encryption and vulnerability assessments.
• Providing detailed reports, heatmaps, and optimization plans post-assessment.

Skills Requirements

The tender requires vendors to demonstrate:

• Proven experience in network infrastructure assessment, particularly within the education sector.
• Expertise in Wi-Fi technology, including Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E standards, and capacity planning for high-density environments.
• Strong technical skills in network hardware evaluation, configuration, and optimization.
• Experience in conducting site surveys using tools like Ekahau or similar heatmapping solutions.
• Capability to analyze network performance metrics and traffic patterns.
• Ability to develop comprehensive reports and actionable recommendations.
• Knowledge of security protocols, VLAN segmentation, and network security best practices.
• Qualified personnel with relevant certifications and experience in routing, switching, WLAN analysis, and network security.