Will it be faster?
It depends on what you are doing:
- Desktop computer bandwidth is increasing by a factor of 10. However, this does not mean everything will be 10 times faster. There are many other factors effecting your overall data throughput.
- Large file downloads and uploads will be faster. This will mostly benefit accessing the file servers.
- Streaming videos may start sooner and cache less.
- Web pages may be snappier. Then again, they may not. This will be depended on what pages you’re visiting.
Why are we doing this?
- The old network is at end of support. We can no longer get replacement parts when things fail or software updates for bugs and security fixes. Without support, we could have a building down from a single device failure. This is an unacceptable risk to the College.
- The new network will be 10x faster. In the real world, this does not mean that everything will be 10 times faster, but there should be a noticeable improvement.
- We are building redundant links between buildings to decrease the risk of failure and increase bandwidth.
- We were at the end of life with our fiber optics cabling that connects buildings. The cabling was failing and we could not go any faster on it. Installing the new fiber dictated that we needed new network hardware to use it.
Is there anything I need to do?
No, just sit back and enjoy the improvements. We will take care of connecting everything. If you experience any issues after your building or area is cut-over, please contact the Help Desk.