Client Results — Healthcare

Surgical Center Achieves Unified Network Operations with Cisco Refresh

A complete network infrastructure refresh replaced mixed-vendor switching with unified Cisco Catalyst architecture, delivering centralized Layer 3 routing and Wi-Fi 6 coverage across the facility.

Cisco Catalyst switching · Wi-Fi 6 deployment · OSPF routing migration
34
Wi-Fi 6 access points
Complete wireless coverage upgrade
10
Catalyst switches
Unified switching infrastructure
3
Cutover windows
Phased migration approach
Full HA
Core redundancy
Catalyst 9300L stack design
Healthcare

The Organization

A surgical center operating a multi-floor facility with mixed-vendor network infrastructure requiring standardization and performance improvements to support critical healthcare operations and patient care systems.

Multi-floor surgical facility with existing Fortinet switches and access points, FortiGate edge security, and OSPF routing to connected medical facilities.

The Challenge

The surgical center's network infrastructure consisted of mixed Fortinet switching and wireless components that created operational complexity and limited scalability. The existing architecture lacked centralized Layer 3 routing capabilities and modern wireless standards.

Network management was fragmented across different vendor platforms, making troubleshooting and expansion difficult while limiting visibility into network performance and user experience.

Mixed-vendor infrastructure creating operational complexity
Limited Layer 3 routing capabilities on switching infrastructure
Outdated wireless technology lacking Wi-Fi 6 performance
Fragmented network management across vendor platforms
Scalability constraints for future facility expansion

IVI's Approach

IVI designed and implemented a comprehensive network refresh using unified Cisco Catalyst infrastructure, establishing centralized Layer 3 routing and modern wireless capabilities while maintaining operational continuity.

Phase 1: Network Discovery & Design

Conducted comprehensive assessment of existing MP300 network infrastructure and developed purpose-built Cisco architecture with high-availability core switching and distributed IDF design.

Phase 2: Core Infrastructure Deployment

Implemented Catalyst 9300L switch stack with centralized Layer 3 routing, OSPF peering to adjacent facilities, and redundant uplink configuration to edge security infrastructure.

Phase 3: IDF and Access Layer Migration

Deployed Catalyst 9200L switches as IDF aggregation points with proper VLAN trunking and uplink redundancy to the core switching infrastructure.

Phase 4: Wireless Infrastructure Upgrade

Replaced legacy access points with 34 Cisco C9162I Wi-Fi 6 access points, providing comprehensive wireless coverage with WLC integration and centralized management.

Technology Stack Deployed

Cisco Catalyst 9300L
High-availability core switching stack (5 units)
Cisco Catalyst 9200L
IDF aggregation switching (5 units)
Cisco C9162I Access Points
Wi-Fi 6 wireless coverage (34 units)
OSPF Routing Protocol
Inter-site connectivity and routing
FortiGate Security
Edge security and firewall services

Implementation Results

The network refresh delivered a unified Cisco infrastructure with centralized management, improved performance visibility, and scalable architecture aligned with enterprise networking standards.

Unified network operations

Replaced mixed-vendor infrastructure with single-vendor Cisco Catalyst platform, simplifying management and reducing operational complexity across switching and wireless domains.

Centralized Layer 3 routing

Established Catalyst 9300L core stack as primary routing platform with OSPF peering to adjacent facilities, replacing distributed routing functions and improving network determinism.

Modern wireless capabilities

Deployed comprehensive Wi-Fi 6 coverage with 34 access points, delivering improved wireless performance and capacity for healthcare applications and mobile devices.

Scalable architecture foundation

Implemented enterprise-grade switching architecture with clear upgrade paths and standardized configuration management supporting future facility expansion requirements.

Explore Related Solutions

FAQs
How do you minimize disruption during healthcare network migrations?

IVI uses phased cutover windows with detailed implementation and test plans. For this surgical center, we used three separate maintenance windows to migrate switching, routing, and wireless infrastructure while maintaining operational continuity.

What are the benefits of centralizing Layer 3 routing on the switching infrastructure?

Centralized Layer 3 routing on Catalyst switches provides better network determinism, simplified troubleshooting, and improved scalability compared to distributed routing across multiple platforms.

How does Wi-Fi 6 improve healthcare network performance?

Wi-Fi 6 delivers higher throughput, lower latency, and better device density support, which is critical for healthcare environments with numerous mobile devices, patient monitoring systems, and clinical applications.

Can this architecture scale for future facility expansion?

Yes. The Catalyst switching architecture provides clear upgrade paths and standardized configuration management that supports additional floors, departments, or connected facilities through the existing OSPF routing design.

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