Laughter emanates from the mouth of Eduardo Rangel. This has been the reaction given by most DVC students when asked about DVC Wi-Fi; however the tired old wireless connection is scheduled for a facelift in the spring of 2013.Rangel, a business major and first year student said, “The first time I brought my laptop I could access Wi-Fi but then later it showed I had a connection but there was no internet access.”According to Percy Roper, technology systems manager at DVC, the district Infrastructure upgrade project will be replacing all current DVC wireless devices with newer models capable of much higher speeds.  Each Wi-Fi access point will be able to connect up to 500 devices including iPads, smartphones, and laptops.

Roper said the current Wi-Fi connection which began to be deployed between 2005 and 2006, “… can only allow limited number of devices (smartphones, laptops, iPad, etc.) to connect to it and once it reaches the maximum number of connections it stops accepting more devices.”

A number of students bring their laptops in an effort to catch up on schoolwork before, after, or during large gaps between classes.

Angela Pucci, communications major and second year student said she has one hour between classes and finds it a “pain” not being able to do homework from her laptop during that time due to the lack of wireless availability. She said, “I’m here in the afternoon and the computer lab is closed. I’m not sure what other computer labs are available for use.”
The limited hours in the computer lab are convenient for morning students like Rangel. He said he brings his laptop to school for a non-internet program he uses during math class. He said, “It would be a lot easier if I can just access the internet through my laptop. I have a computer, so why am I using the computer lab?”

Aaron Hudson, a three year student, claims he can access the internet in the parking lot. He said “The places that I need it the most its not available, I can’t get it in the math building.”

Hudson says he relies on his computer every day, “The computers in the lab are always used, I can use my phone but I pay for it.”