A Case Study of the Uses Supported by Higher Education Computer Networks and An Analysis of Application Traffic

Universities and Higher Education Institutions spend large sums of money to maintain and build network infrastructures. Current research and discussions in this area revolve around providing large amounts of bandwidth to students who live in a residence hall. However, there is a lack of information showing what is being used to support research efforts and overall administration of the institutions. There is also discussion and data that shows the growth and demand for Wi-Fi access and a concern for the number of devices that students are bringing with them. Little discussion is taking place about what the network is actively being used for. Spending money, time, and resources to grow a network and its access with no understanding on what it is used for, are these networks being used to support the academic mission or are they just giant entertainment networks? This dissertation shows through data analysis of unidentifiable anonymous data, what applications are utilizing the network by evaluating the unique application signatures in the network packets. This is then categorized with the intent to offer insight as to what the network is supporting. This dissertation can be used as a guide to help others preform their own analysis and it brings current knowledge, offers insight, and confirms the expectations of network administrators