The Network Working Group (Netz-AK) was founded in 2004 to improve the often unreliable internet in the student dorms at Fichtenweg. Back then, there was no proper network management. A few student tutors paid by the Studierendenwerk were responsible, but it didn’t work very well.
The dorms at Fichtenweg were likely connected by fiber optic cables already in the 1970s, as this was modern technology at the time.
The dorms on the Wanne hill were connected early on to what we call the WHO network – named after the Waldhäuser Ost area and its network.
At first, Netz-AK only worked in the WHO area. Later, a few small locations were added: one volunteer at Hartmeyerstraße and four to five volunteers in buildings of the former Hindenburg military base (now in the French Quarter), which were connected to the network after renovations in 2006.
After the student unions of Tübingen and Hohenheim merged, the network supported by Netz-AK grew significantly in 2014. It now covered a large area from Geislingen an der Steige through Hohenheim, Nürtingen, Reutlingen, and Tübingen to Albstadt and Sigmaringen. The number of managed connections increased from around 3,000 in Tübingen to over 5,500.
Even though we expected the team to grow with the network, the opposite happened – the team got smaller. The original WHO team was only joined by one member from the French Quarter. Still, we managed to keep the network running for over ten years with very limited resources.
Since 2022, things have improved thanks to internal changes at the Studierendenwerk. For the first time in years, we were able to do more than just keep things running.
We finally got the chance to make overdue purchases. We now also have access to the teilAuto car-sharing system.
Our cooperation with the Studierendenwerk’s IT department has improved a lot, and the new leadership is very supportive.
Our team in Tübingen has grown and now includes more active students again.
Since 2023, we’ve also been taking part in the annual Student Network Meetings (SNTs) again.
In 2024, we gained an active member in Hohenheim. In 2025, someone joined us in Albstadt.
In 2023 and 2024, we tested new hardware, which we finally decided to buy in 2025. The Studierendenwerk has now completed the purchase.
We also made many smaller but important improvements: we set up basic network monitoring, improved our backup strategy, and introduced a ticket system for support requests. All of this makes our work much easier.
In 2023, we founded our own association. We expect it to be officially recognized as a non-profit organization soon. At the same time, we are finalizing an agreement with the Studierendenwerk that will define our future cooperation.
Starting in June 2025, we will begin the final big step: installing the new hardware in the remaining 100 buildings. Two buildings have already been completed. About 275 switches still need to be installed.
For this, we urgently need more helpers. Even short-term help is very valuable and supports a network built for the future.
If you want to join us long-term, there are many exciting projects waiting. We can now finally start bringing Wi-Fi to the kitchen areas. We are also planning to introduce IPv6 and restructure the subnet system. Any kind of support is welcome.
There are also great opportunities for those who want to dive deeper: for example, by organizing workshops to teach other students about how our network works. Or by running your own nerdy research projects in computer networking and sharing your findings with the group.
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