Switching school network from Verizon DSL to Comcast Cable? What do I need to know?

I'm a brand new school IT administrator for a small private school. We currently have about 45 users and around 77 computers on the network (including a laptop cart and a lab). We have Verizon DSL and our speed tests seem to show a speed of about 1.1 - 1.4 Mbps (with just me on the network!). It's really slow and I'm worried about how slow it will be once everyone actually returns to school. I would like to upgrade to cable. What do I need to know about the transition? Is it a simple installation and then just replacing the DSL modem with a cable modem or is it more complex than that? I am just taking over this position and there are lots of issues with the current network I'm trying to resolve. Are there limitations that would keep us from getting a faster speed even if we made the switch to cable? I am not sure about all of the internal wiring, but I believe it is CAT5 (it may be up about 10 years old), which should certainly support anything we can get via cable in our relatively rural area. Anything else I should know?|||all you have to do is change the modem.


cable connetions do not require a PPPoE service so it is even easier. the connection is way more reliable than DSL.





So be happy. this is the right step to take. just make sure that the router , switch, or hub settings are the optimal.





good luck|||Yes, just replace the modem. Cat5 is just fine. If it works - don't touch it. Yes, you should replace the equipment if its 10yrs old. You should get 100MB or more from Comcast.


Also, wow 1.1-1.4 Mbps - super slow if you have more than 3 people on it. Did the school just get online? You must not have been able to share that 1 connection with 77 computers. If so, you must have multiple dsl lines for each class room. Really? You should check this out because if you have multiple lines / more equipment will be needed. Let us know what city your in and maybe there is someone that will look at it for you.