The district technology staff undertook significant upgrades over Spring Break to the district’s network and internet connection. Servers and other network equipment were upgraded to provide for a 10 Gb Wide Area Network (WAN) between all the district buildings instead of the old 1 Gb connection, as well as four times faster internet speed[1]. This was to help resolve many of the issues encountered earlier in the year and to replace aging equipment.
“The day to day effects [are] faster connections, less issues with connections, and less filtering issues,” said District Technology Director Mat Nelson. “Overall, our users are experiencing an overall increase in performance and speed of the internet. As is the case with any technology, equipment gets dated and it is essential [to] update on an ongoing basis.”
However, student and staff perception on the improvements is mixed. Many of them have commented on the increase in performance, especially in comparison to earlier in the year. In a survey of 105 students and staff[2], forty seven percent said that the internet speed was somewhat or significantly faster after spring break than before. However, forty two percent said there was no significant change in speed, and ten percent said it got slower. The average rating of overall internet quality on a 10-point scale went from 5.2 in September, to 3.9 in November, and now after Spring Break to 5.6, with forty five percent of the respondents in the most recent survey saying the internet quality has gotten better from the beginning of the school year.
The actual internet speeds tell a clearer story. Download and upload speeds now reach over 85 Mbps on the BHM 887 N wireless network and around 95 Mbps in the computer labs[3], putting BHS at one of the highest levels of internet speed. Even more remarkable is that these speeds were obtained during times of significant use during the day, and maintained fairly constant under the load of passing time, during which the internet frequently became almost unusable earlier in the year. Albeit much slower, the BHS Stu G network for personal devices averaged 14.7 Mbps download and 17.3 Mbps upload, which is still as fast as or faster than most home internet connections, and those speeds were similarly maintained during passing time.
The upgrades have also reduced the internet connection issues, which among other benefits has eased the load on the technology staff.
“We have seen an ease on the technology staff in dealing with internet related issues,” said Nelson. “[This] has allowed us to reallocate time to other important projects and updates.”
One of these upcoming projects that is greatly benefiting from the recent upgrades is the district’s “ePortfolio” project headed up by Technology Integration Specialists Jenny Wykle and Katie Gohl. The ePortfolios would be online sites which would act as a sort of school portfolio, sharing a student’s best work from kindergarten to 12th grade. Implementation has started this spring as an option in elementary schools, with plans to expand district wide next school year. This expansion will be greatly benefited by the recent internet upgrades.
“The increased quality of the schools’ internet is essential for making a smooth transition into using ePortfolios district-wide,” said Wykle. “As teachers and students increasingly use the internet to improve and apply their digital fluency skills, a more robust network connection is paramount.”
[1] Sources: The Insider and Mat Nelson.
[2]Unscientific survey conducted on Apr 16. 110 paper surveys were distributed to various classes during 3rd Block, 105 responses were received. Percentages do not add to 100 due to rounding.
[3]Speed results are based on multiple tests conducted using speedtest.net primarily in Room C-210 during 3rd Block. There was limited data available for comparison, but results from a report last year can be found at https://www.hoofprint.net/?p=15411.
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