Case Study: University of Tsukuba achieves fast, flexible campus-wide connectivity and simplified network management with Juniper Networks

University of Tsukuba Positions Itself for Next-Generation Services with Fast and Flexible Connectivity

The University of Tsukuba, a large public research university serving about 20,000 students, staff and researchers across a 257‑ha campus, faced an aging, fragmented core network. Core switches were split across two sites and numerous ad‑hoc systems had been added over time, making management costly and limiting the university’s ability to support next‑generation services such as the planned SINET5 upgrade to 100 Gbps.

Tsukuba consolidated and modernized its network using Juniper hardware (EX9214/EX3300/EX4200 and MX480) and the Junos OS, leveraging Virtual Chassis technology and existing campus tunnels to reduce deployment costs. The redesign centralized core switching without losing coverage, simplified operations with commit‑based configuration, cut administrative and support overhead, and delivered the performance and scalability needed for SINET5, cloud services and expanded Wi‑Fi and smart‑device use.

University of Tsukuba

Akira Sato

Associate Professor of Engineering