Internet Access
When we started to plan for a 1:1 scenario our first goal was to make sure our system can comfortably handle everything we throw at it. Below are tests and study’s that we did to insure that our system, with some tweaks (for example internet), that we did to insure that our system can handle the type of technology we want to use for Seneca’s future educational needs.
Internet Access
The current internet access structure is inadequate for the present demands of the students and will not be sufficient for the 1:1 initiative. The school presently has 3-T1 lines totaling 4.5 MB and 1-DSL line at 10 MB. The provider for the T1 lines and the DSL service is through AT&T. Illinois Century Network (ICN) provides the IP addresses and serves as the service provider for the T1 connections. The data demands are shared across all lines. Figure 2 depicts the current bandwidth utilization. Anytime the bandwidth exceeds 80%, performance will be degraded. As one can see, the current statistics show that the average utilization during peak school hours far exceed the 80% rule; utilization is well above 3.6 MB and is often maxed out at 100%. To remedy this, we have been preparing for the Northern Illinois University Dark Fiber Project known as NIUNet. This grant program hopes to grant the school a base internet bandwidth of between 8 and 50 MB. We are also committed to purchasing an additional 100 MB. Our intention is to disconnect the existing T1 contracts as they expire.
Monthly Bandwidth Chart (ICN)
