Building a Network That “Just Works”: A Success Story with ComSource and Amsterdam CSD

In today’s classrooms, reliable connectivity is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. For Amsterdam Central School District (CSD), serving approximately 3,500 students along the I-90 corridor west of Schenectady, the need for a modern, dependable network was clear. With a diverse student population that includes a large Hispanic community and more than 250 English as a Second Language (ESL) learners, dependable technology plays a critical role in supporting instruction and access to digital resources.

The Challenge: An Inconsistent and Aging Network

Amsterdam CSD’s existing network infrastructure had become increasingly unreliable across district buildings. Teachers struggled to consistently rely on digital tools in the classroom, and performance issues created frustration for both staff and students. In addition to day-to-day reliability concerns, the district faced growing challenges around security, scalability, and long-term sustainability.

The district needed a solution that would not only fix current issues, but also support future growth and evolving instructional needs.

The Solution: A District-Wide Network Refresh

Amsterdam CSD partnered with ComSource and NERIC to design and implement a comprehensive network refresh that addressed performance, security, and resiliency from the ground up. The solution included:

• A new Layer Three core installed at the high school to improve network efficiency and performance

• A state-of-the-art firewall pair with redundant internet connections to enhance security and reliability

• A complete wireless redesign featuring new Meraki Access Points, delivering strong, consistent coverage and advanced management capabilities such as mapping and client device monitoring

• A redesigned switching architecture to optimize performance across all district buildings

• New uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) to improve resiliency and protect critical infrastructure

This collaborative approach ensured that every component of the network worked together seamlessly.

The Results: Reliable, Secure, and Ready for the Future

Thanks to strong teamwork between Amsterdam CSD, ComSource, and NERIC, the deployment was completed smoothly and without disruption to daily operations. The results were immediate and impactful:

• Consistent, reliable network performance across the entire district

• Enhanced security through modern firewall protection

• A significantly improved teacher experience—the network simply “just works,” allowing educators to focus on teaching instead of troubleshooting connectivity

• A future-ready infrastructure designed to support growth, new technologies, and evolving educational needs

Doing It Right the First Time

While the technology itself wasn’t “rocket science,” the success of this project came down to thoughtful design, strong partnerships, and doing things right the first time. By modernizing its network infrastructure, Amsterdam CSD now has a stable, secure foundation that supports learning today and well into the future—powered by ComSource expertise and collaboration.