Research Computing uses advanced network capabilities to support the research environment at RIT. Research areas on campus are connected to the campus backbone at 1 Gigabit per second. The campus backbone runs at 10 Gigabits per sec. Research computing systems (computers, storage, backups, and supporting systems are connected to each other and to the campus backbone at 10 Gigabits per second via a Cisco 6509 switch courtesy of a Cisco Research Grant.

The next goal is to gain access to 10 Gigabit networks from experimental research areas to support research and development work in distributed parallel computing and uncompressed high definition video over IP networks for real time communications. This requires 10 Gigabits per second connectivity to the research desktops.