Kahlotus School District Upgrades Network with Robust D-Link® Managed Switches

Affordable Enterprise-Level Technology from D-Link Enables Modern Learning Initiatives for Students in Rural Washington

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Apr 28, 2015, 06:15 ET

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., April 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Built in the 1950s, Kahlotus School District has been serving rural communities in southeast Washington for decades. With more than 50 students in kindergarten through 12^th grade and 18 employees across four buildings, the district turned to D-Link to bring its schools into the 21^st century and implement state-of-the-art managed switches to upgrade its network infrastructure, security and performance.

"Upgrading all of our networking technology to modern-day standards was our number one priority," said Glenn Whitcomb, technology director, who supports Kahlotus and two other districts. "We were at a critical point. It had been over 16 years since any wiring infrastructure was done and the district had never owned any managed switch gear, so it was time."

As 1:1 learning initiatives continue to sweep the nation, students and teachers everywhere are poised to reap the benefits. However, not all school districts are prepared for this transition. Many, like Kahlotus School District, learned they must first bring their networks into the 21^st century. After reviewing bids from multiple providers, Kahlotus School District installed D-Link's affordable enterprise-level solutions to support high-quality multimedia learning initiatives that rival those in any metropolitan school district.

"One of the biggest reasons we opted to go with D-Link was the company's willingness to help a small district like ours get to the level we needed to be at," said Whitcomb. "This is not a district with deep pockets."

D-Link's DGS-3120 switch series supports physical stacking, multicast and enhanced security, providing the ideal Gigabit access layer solution. Whitcomb installed two xStack^® Managed 48-Port Gigabit Stackable L2+ Switches (DGS-3120-48TC) for evaluation and immediately realized the value. While the initial switches were still in trial, Kahlotus installed two additional units and is currently running base configurations.

Since the switch installations and the district's wiring infrastructure upgrade, Kahlotus School District couldn't be happier. Before, the district was a 10/100 network entirely, however they are now able to support gigabit speeds at every desktop. In addition, because Whitcomb is located 60 miles away from the campus, the network's remote management capabilities enable him to easily monitor and access the switches remotely to track performance and troubleshooting.

"We now have the ability to place PoE devices where we need to, can deliver content wirelessly and if we want to do density coverage, we can put drops in every room," said Whitcomb. "It really comes down to the ability to expand capabilities, which is going to be critical in the near future," said Whitcomb. "Honestly, I'm very thankful for the opportunity we were given with this affordable gear. We've had a very positive experience with D-Link."

In the future, Kahlotus aims to add security devices like IP surveillance cameras, which will require segmenting different traffic streams on separate VLANs. Having D-Link's state-of-the-art managed switches previously installed makes it all possible. For more information about D-Link switches and its complete line of business solutions, visit www.dlink.com/business-solutions.

About D-Link
D-Link is the global leader in connectivity for home, small business, mid-to large-sized enterprise environments, and service providers. An award-winning designer, developer, and manufacturer, D-Link implements and supports unified network solutions that integrate capabilities in switching, wireless, broadband, storage, IP Surveillance, and cloud-based network management. For more information visit www.dlink.com, or connect with D-Link on LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/company/d-link) and Spiceworks (http://community.spiceworks.com/networking/d-link).

D-Link, xStack and the D-Link logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of D-Link. All other third-party marks mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. © 2015 D-Link. All Rights Reserved.

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