Selfnet Improves Campus Connectivity with Huawei’s Wi-Fi 7

Shaping the Wi-Fi network of tomorrow

Laptops, smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and gaming consoles: the number of Wi-Fi-enabled devices in student residences is constantly increasing. At the same time, students expect fast and stable connections everywhere — whether for online lectures, working from home, streaming, or gaming. While it was still rare to see 1,000 simultaneously connected devices on Selfnet’s Wi-Fi network in 2018, there will already be 4,500 logged-in clients in 2025. And usage figures continue to rise, especially in the evenings when many young people are in the dormitories. “We effectively operate a bring-your-own-device network in which we cannot control or manage the students’ end devices,” says Felix Hüftle, member of the Selfnet board. Not only the number of connected devices, but also the data volume in the Wi-Fi network has risen sharply. This creates new challenges in administration and security, as well as posing major challenges for cybersecurity. For even better security, Selfnet is examining where the Huawei Wi-Fi Shield can be used in its own network.

In addition, many student residences are located in older buildings, where the cabling is often over 20 years old and does not meet current standards in all areas. New cables are difficult to lay, and structural measures are complex and expensive. Nevertheless, Selfnet’s goal here is also to ensure fast network connections. At the same time, however, the Wi-Fi should not only work reliably in the students’ living quarters, but also across the entire campus — for example, on long footpaths, at parcel stations, or in the courtyards. Comprehensive Wi-Fi coverage places special demands on the technology: radio signals can encounter obstacles such as trees or buildings outdoors, and changing weather conditions can affect signal quality. In addition, the installation of access points is more complex because they must be weatherproof and vandal-proof.

New network solution based on Wi-Fi 7

To keep the campus network up to date, Selfnet has been relying on the latest Wi-Fi technology from Huawei since 2012. The network is continuously being developed. “When we replace old devices or expand the network because a new dormitory is being built, we always use the latest Huawei models. This allows us to create long-term solutions that don’t need to be adapted again after a short time,” says Felix Hüftle.

Currently, a large part of the WLAN network is already based on Wi-Fi 6. For new purchases, the Selfnet team is already relying exclusively on Wi-Fi 7 technology from Huawei. By the end of 2024, more than 300 devices had already been upgraded from Wi-Fi 5 to Wi-Fi 7. The new access points will be installed both indoors and outdoors and managed centrally via the Huawei Wireless Access Controller (WAC) 6805.

Future-proof and flexible: Wi-Fi with maximum bandwidth

Wi-Fi 7 utilizes the full capacity of the 6 GHz band for the first time, doubling the bandwidth compared to Wi-Fi 6. Selfnet primarily leverages the significant potential of the 6 GHz band at locations with high client density, such as in its own office or in learning and party rooms. “While our network only achieved around 100 Mbit/s with Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 7 now enables speeds of up to 700 Mbit/s, depending on how close users are to the access point,” says Sönke Eskeldsen, honorary member of Selfnet. If necessary, the team can flexibly adjust channel width to further increase the speed.

Since 2024, Selfnet has been using Huawei’s Dynamic Pre-Shared Key (DPSK) solution for authentication. This gives each user their own password for Wi-Fi access without the need for an enterprise-capable Wi-Fi device. In the past, e-book readers, game consoles, and printers were not always compatible with Selfnet Wi-Fi, but with the new technology, it is now possible to connect almost any client to the Wi-Fi. DPSK management is automated using proprietary software, which significantly reduces the workload for the volunteer admin and support team.

Another advantage is that the new Huawei models can be combined with existing mounts. “This compatibility is important to us because we are not allowed to drill holes in the buildings ourselves, as we are not a construction company and cannot insure ourselves against possible damage,” says Eskeldsen. Thanks to Huawei’s practical solution, replacing the devices takes only seconds in the best-case scenario, making upgrading to new Wi-Fi standards quick and easy.

Thanks to Wi-Fi 7, Selfnet is well equipped for the coming years. The technology not only remains up to date, but also offers sufficient reserves for increasing requirements and even more end devices. Close cooperation with Huawei enables the team to quickly test and implement new solutions: “The fast and reliable delivery times give us excellent planning security. In a very short time after release, we receive demo devices from the new model series, which we put through their paces in the lab,” reports Sönke Eskeldsen. This means that students benefit from fast, stable connections — whether in their own rooms or on campus. And even with a high number of users and constantly changing devices, the Wi-Fi remains powerful, secure, and easy to manage.

About Selfnet

Selfnet e.V. is a non-profit student association that has been operating a network for student residences in Stuttgart, Ludwigsburg, and Esslingen for 25 years. The association currently connects around 7,000 rooms in almost 40 residences and offers students the opportunity to gain practical experience in setting up and operating networks.

Each connected room is equipped with a LAN connection, which is Selfnet’s core service. Students generally have access to a 2.5 Gbit/s symmetrical connection. Most of the access switches used are from Huawei and can also be upgraded to 10 Gbit/s connections via license, ensuring that the network remains expandable in the future. In addition to the wired connection, Selfnet operates its own Wi-Fi network exclusively based on Huawei technology, which now covers more than half of all rooms and is thus an important additional service provided by the association.

Further information can be found at: https://selfnet.de/

Quote

“When we replace old devices or expand the network because a new dormitory is being built, we always use the latest Huawei models. This allows us to create long-term solutions that don’t need to be adapted again after a short time.” Felix Hüftle, member of the Selfnet board