Hospital Wi-Fi Networking for Staff and Patients

The Elisabeth-Krankenhaus Hospital Essen of the Contilia Group has been equipped by Huawei and blue networks with a modern, nationwide wireless LAN for multiple applications. Since data security was the top priority, specifications of the BSI (Federal Office for Information Security) were taken into account.

Challenges

The goal of Contilia was to reliably connect mobile medical devices such as ECG devices via Wi-Fi access to the network. In addition, patients and guests should receive a legally secure Internet access for mobile devices such as Smartphones or Notebooks during their stay. Both should be mapped by a solution with its own network infrastructure, where the IT department would be able to check and control the usage. In addition, the internal transfer of data must be optimally protected.

Solution

A central Wi-Fi solution based on a controller-based system was set by Huawei. The AP6605 controller controls and manages all Access Points (APs). A total of 215 APs were installed throughout the building, whose positions were reliably defined by professional Wi-Fi lighting to avoid subsequent problems. The components were merged with Power over Ethernet2 or (PoE2) via modern dedicated Huawei S5700 Gigabit switches. Since some access points were only accessible via LAN cable, they were connected via so-called mesh connections in the 5 GHz band with neighboring APs connected via radio and only needed a power connection. The solution broadcasts multiple wireless networks, with users of internal networks being authenticated with certificates over 802.1X and then having to establish a VPN tunnel. Patients log on to a web gateway with personal credentials that are valid for predefined durations. Users consciously have limitations in bandwidth and number of devices allowed, so the system has good scalability. In addition to centralized administration, Huawei eSight management software also offers security features such as the detection of third-party Wi-Fi devices.

Benefits

The Wi-Fi access to the Internet is another service offered by the hospital for the patients and visitors. The mobile use of the medical infrastructure has been increased and the IT security has been further improved.

Huawei Partners with Blue Networks

As a network system house for LAN, Wi-Fi, WAN, security and telephony solutions, blue networks has been active for more than 10 years and is one of the leading system integrators in Central Germany. Their special focus on Wi-Fi solutions created the perfect partnership with Huawei for this integrated Wi-Fi solution.