2025 Network Upgrade - The Juicy Details
Get Ready for a Faster, Smarter Campus Network!
We’re making major upgrades to our network to give you faster speeds, stronger security, and a more reliable connection, whether you’re streaming a lecture, submitting an assignment, or battling lag in your favorite game. Think of this as giving our digital highways a massive expansion, ensuring smoother traffic flow and fewer slowdowns. From boosting internet bandwidth to optimizing wireless connectivity, these changes will make your online experience better than ever. So, what’s changing? Let’s dive in!
What’s Changing?
- Upgraded Firewall for Faster Traffic Flow
Think of our firewall as a security checkpoint for all internet traffic, it ensures that only legitimate requests get through while keeping threats out. Our current firewall is effective, but we’re making it even better by increasing its capacity. This means a wider, faster gateway for internet traffic, allowing for improved performance across campus. - A More Powerful Network Core
The network core is the backbone of all campus connectivity. We are upgrading this critical infrastructure to handle higher speeds, reducing bottlenecks and ensuring that data moves efficiently across campus. Whether you're accessing files in the office, participating in an online lecture, or streaming content in your residence hall, this upgrade will improve your experience across the board. - Increased Internet Bandwidth (1 Gbps > 2.5 Gbps per network)
Currently, our campus operates with two primary networks: one for faculty and staff, and one for students. Each has been running at 1 gigabit per second (Gbps), a solid speed but one that no longer meets the increasing demands of modern digital learning and collaboration.
With this upgrade, our primary internet service will expand to 5 Gbps:
Faculty and staff will now have access to 2.5 Gbps on a dedicated network while students can also enjoy 2.5 Gbps on their own dedicated network. This is more than double the capacity for both groups ensuring better productivity, learning, and of course streaming and gaming. This will be a tiered process. The new speeds will be available a short time after the hardware installation and cut-over is complete next week.
Additionally, our secondary network will remain in place at 1 Gbps as a backup, ensuring that connectivity remains available even in the event of a primary network disruption. - Wireless Optimization for Better Connectivity
Reliable wireless connectivity is crucial for both work and leisure. Over the summer, we will be fine-tuning our wireless network to:
- Reduce interference for a more stable connection.
- Improve roaming so devices can seamlessly transition between access points.
- Enhance coverage to eliminate weak spots across campus.
What Does This Mean for You?
These upgrades will provide a faster, smoother, and more secure internet experience. Whether you're teaching, learning, researching, streaming, gaming, or simply browsing, you’ll notice a difference in how quickly and efficiently you can connect. We'll also provide some tips and tricks to getting the most out of your connections as the network upgrade takes root. Stay tuned for future updates!