About the Monash network

Monash University has a large and complex network consisting of more than 2000 network devices servicing over 40,000 data points in 150 buildings on 20 sites. In addition to a fixed data network Monash University also provides a wireless service for staff, students and authorised vistors. The wireless service currently provides access for more than 1000 users every day. The university relies heavily on the entire network for the delivery of academic and administrative services.

To get a new network connection, please contact your local IT support staff who will arrange for the physical installation and network registration. If you don't have local IT support staff, contact your nearest ITS Service Desk.

Monash University's enterprise network is an Ethernet connected state-of-the-art network. The network consist of a scalable, resilient high bandwidth Ethernet core backbone and resilient Ethernet connectivity at speeds of up to gigabit/s for end-user connectivity. The network includes enhanced security to conform with Monash policy, while Quality of Service (QoS) features are being implemented to ensure high network performance for not only mission-critical enterprise applications, but also for delay-sensitive applications such as video and Voice Over IP (VoIP).

Physical Network Topology

The design is based around Precincts or sub-networks. Each precinct is served by two route switches for resilience.

Each Precinct comprises a group of buildings based on a combination of campus geography and optical fibre distribution. Additionally, the central servers have their own dual precinct route switches. The design ensures a solid routed core with resilient load-sharing paths to the servers, and the Building Distribution Switch located in each building. The Building Distribution Switch in turn will be linked to the edge switches that connect to end-user workstations.

Network Redundancy and Resilience

The network has redundancy and resilience throughout the core and up to the edge switches in the buildings. The core routers are connected by two fibre links via geographically diverse paths.

The two precinct routers for each precinct are inter-linked, and each is connected to the core routers. The Building distribution switch in each building in a precinct is to be likewise connected to the two precinct routers. The resilience extends all the way up to the edge switch stack.

Quality of Service

To ensure the network is optimized for best performance, Quality of Service (QoS) with appropriate prioritization of traffic, and Policy based networking features will be implemented across the network. This will ensure high network performance for not only mission-critical enterprise applications including email and web browsing, but also for bandwidth-intensive real-time applications such as video and voice over IP, and multicasting to support program distribution and video broadcasts.

Support

As the network is so critical it is monitored and supported 24 hours a day all year round by Monash network engineers.