Artificial intelligence (AI) is making it easier for more than 60,000 devices to stay connected to the campus network at UNLV.

The campus network infrastructure is upgrading to Juniper’s AI-driven platform, bringing improved connectivity campuswide, stronger security, and faster troubleshooting. Juniper was selected for its strength in AI and self-healing technologies, following years of planning by UNLV’s information technology team to replace end-of-support network equipment.

“After careful planning and the support of students, faculty, university leadership, and the Board of Regents, we were able to secure the funding needed to modernize the campus network infrastructure,” Vice President for Digital Transformation & Chief Information Officer Kivanc Oner said.  

AI Helps Automatically Detect and Fix Network Issues  
Juniper’s AI technology leads the way for fewer network disruptions and a better overall user experience.

“With students, faculty, and staff using multiple devices daily, fast and reliable connectivity is critical for learning, teaching, and collaboration,” Associate Director of Network Development & Engineering Matt Kole said. “By moving to Juniper’s next-generation technology, we’re delivering a more resilient, high-performing network experience that can keep up with growing demand.”

Before, the network team could only respond to poor connection issues after someone reported them to the IT Help Desk, and then troubleshoot them manually. On a campus where learning, teaching, research, and daily operations rely on connectivity, even a brief disruption can cause students to miss key moments in a lecture, leading to confusion or feeling disconnected. AI is changing that, automatically detecting and fixing many common network issues before anyone notices a problem.

According to Kole, the platform's self-healing capabilities can proactively adjust WiFi bandwidth based on room occupancy. It can sense how many people are in a room and make improvements to ensure everyone gets a strong and reliable connection. This feature can be helpful during the first week of school, when many students and staff are all trying to connect to eduroam at the same time.

Insights Into Usage, Stronger Security, and Faulty Equipment 
His network team also uses the platform to monitor the network in real time, helping them efficiently remediate problems while protecting sensitive data. This kind of visibility is especially important as UNLV grows its research and healthcare programs. Driven by AI, Juniper’s automated threat detection and other security features support the advanced technology used in today’s labs, clinics, and learning spaces.

“It gives us one place to go for deeper insights into how the network equipment is performing,” Kole said. “We can determine what needs to be upgraded or balanced, so we can quickly prioritize our services to improve coverage and ensure the network meets the needs of our students, faculty, and staff.”

While AI can’t fix a bad cable, it can alert the network team about the problem before complaints come in.

Kole’s team was recently alerted when an access point in a building wasn’t getting enough power. The AI pinpointed a faulty cable within minutes, allowing network engineers to troubleshoot the issue quickly. After testing, they replaced the cable, which resolved the problem. In the past, diagnosing this issue would have required a time-consuming process of manually reviewing network activity and inspecting network equipment, sometimes leading to delays in resolving the problem.

Less Disruptions and Better Network Experience
Juniper’s AI technology was piloted in the Advanced Engineering Building (AEB), Maryland Administrative Building 2, Robert L. Bigelow Physics building, and the UNLV Bookstore. In AEB,  user-reported network issues significantly decreased according to Reza Faraji, systems software and tech support administrator for the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering.

“Since the Juniper platform was deployed, I’ve consistently heard positive feedback from both students and faculty regarding network speed,” Faraji said. “Users report noticeably faster connections, fewer interruptions, and a more stable overall experience.”

Network Infrastructure Modernization Initiative Underway
After the upgrade is finished, over 700 network switches and 3,400 access points will be replaced in over 100 buildings and outdoor areas on campus.

According to Kole, most of the access points in campus buildings were replaced, with residence halls and classroom buildings prioritized first. Access points in outdoor areas and large spaces like the Lied Library are still scheduled to be upgraded. Replacing network switches throughout campus is expected to begin later this year.

“We kept our users in mind when we planned these rollouts, aiming to minimize impact to our campus community,” Kole said.

So what can people expect during the upgrade?

• Planned network outages: Wired or WiFi networks in certain buildings and areas will be unavailable for a period of time while teams replace end-of-support equipment with new network switches and the remaining access points.
• Temporary connectivity disruptions: Until the entire upgrade is completed, users may lose connection when moving between upgraded areas and areas that still need to be updated.

“Ultimately, we want to give our community the best network experience possible, and this new Juniper AI platform will help us deliver that,” Kole said.

For more details on the timeline and project updates, visit the Network Infrastructure Modernization initiative page.