Ding is senior professional officer and senior communications engineer in the university's Data Network Group.
The university uses networking technologies such as optical fibre, laser, microwave, wireless and UTP cabling. Next generational optical fibre technology and directional borer technology, for cabling under busy access ways, are other areas Ding said he was keeping an eye on.
Investigating Layer 1 technology to support the university, as well as minimising downturn from media failure, form part of Ding's role. These tasks have involved labelling and developing procedures in order to quickly identify problems and reduce the meantime between failures (MTBF). He has also been involved in monitoring, testing and analysing transmission signals in the optical and UTP media within the university.
Ding said that one of the projects he's working on at the moment involves setting up an optical fibre redundancy, to make sure that every building has a dual-fibre path. -This means if one fibre fails then the network traffic will flow through the alternative fibre link," Ding explained.
He has also been setting up wireless LAN networks, so that when any building's physical network is down, the wireless system can be used to link it to nearby buildings.
Another area Ding has been working on is an optical fibre plant diagram for the university, a project which involved staff from the Facilities Management Office and was designed using design software, AutoCAD.
After more than 20 years at the university, Ding has seen much change and been involved in a number of networking projects. In 1981, Ding worked with others designing, developing and testing the hardware for the university's first optical fibre network. -The network operated for about four years," Ding said. -At present, more than 50 buildings on the main campus have been linked by optical fibre, most of them running at 1Gb/sec."
Ding said he also proposed, and was involved in implementing, a laser link which connects the main and southern campuses of the university.
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