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Can We Upgrade Multiple Workstations to Windows 11 Over a 1 GB LAN?

August 24, 2025 6 answers
Asked by TechSavvy42
With Windows 10 support ending on October 14, many businesses are strategizing their migration to Windows 11. My organization is looking into performing in-place upgrades from Windows 10 to Windows 11. We have 400 workstations located at our headquarters, where the primary data center is also situated, hosting our imaging and patching solutions. We recently installed new Cisco switches that support up to 25 GB uplink from the data center, but the rest of the LAN operates at 1 GB. I want to know if it's feasible to upgrade 50 to 100 workstations simultaneously across the 1 GB network. I'm concerned about potential network performance issues, but I'm not a network engineer—just a systems administrator. Any insights?
image deployment in-place upgrades network upgrade System Operations systems administration Windows 11

Answers

ReadySetUpgrade
You should be fine over a 1 Gigabit connection. Once the image is loaded locally, the upgrade speed will depend on the workstation's hardware. I've done similar upgrades before, and you'll likely complete each one in about 10-15 minutes.
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EagerUpdater99
I recommend doing the upgrades in waves. Let the first batch run its course and then move on to the next. It helps manage the load on your network.
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MulticastMaster
Utilizing deployment tools like MDT or SCCM with PXE will help. They can conduct multicast sessions to reduce network flooding, which is especially useful when you're upgrading multiple computers simultaneously.
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NetworkNinja33
At my previous job, we managed to image hundreds of computers, even across slower links, and it worked—just slower than desired. If your network is robust enough, the main issue would just be the time it takes, but it should be doable without much hassle.
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UpgradeGuru77
Instead of a full image deployment, consider inline upgrades if that’s an option. It can save time and network resources.
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TimeIsMoney21
Ultimately, it comes down to whether you have the time or money. Starting the upgrade on a Friday should give you a good buffer to finish by Monday, barring any major issues.
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