World’s largest Wi-Fi network uses Linux. Schools in Victorial get secure access.

I was on irc #ubuntu-au channel and thanks to lucychili I read this article.

World’s largest Wi-Fi network uses Linux
Schools in Victorial get secure access.

By Rodney Gedda, Computerworld Today (Australia)

If securely deploying 10,000 wireless access points across 1700 locations in five months to create what is said to be the world’s largest enterprise Wi-Fi network sounds like a challenge, Victoria’s Department of Education (DET) in Australia took it all in its stride – with the help of a little penguin.

With 540,000 students, 42,000 teachers, more than 200,000 computers, and 40,000 notebooks spread across the 1700 sites, the department last year allocated A$6.5 million (US$4.8 million) to implement a wireless network aimed at easing connectivity, but at first its technology options were limited.

During a presentation at this year’s wireless summit in Sydney, the department’s head of ICT security, Loris Meadows spoke of how the Wireless Networks in Schools (WINS) project required a custom proxy and security services appliance dubbed “EduPass” to be engineered due to the WAN’s complexity…Read the full article