speeding up internet access

Have you tried a speed test to find out what actual line speed you're getting from the local exchange?
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest.html

Please consider provide all the necessary information to help answer the question.
Network topology
Network hardware
Network configuration
Tell what you have done prior to asking your question. This will help us understand that you've done so far. Add information about the steps you took so far towards what you think might be the solution to your problem.

Network topology: ethernet Star

Newtork Hardware: 3com Hubs and Switches, Cisco Router, Adtran Device, Smoothwall, 10/100 NICs, Cat 5 cabling, Netgear switches

**smoothwall replaced old ISA 2000 + Sonicwall


Network Configuration: DHCP is enable on the smoothwall with static ip for all servers and printers,
DNS configured locally on the DC.

Old Configuration: Our Network was accessing  internet via 2 x T1  > sonicwall > ISA 2000 > network
DHCP was configured on a server

New Configuration: 2 x T1 + Time warner cable > smoothwall > network


I hope this helps,
Let me know if i should provide more info

Ethernet Star, Wow!  I never had the pleasure working with.  I think few have .  

sorry for using the wrong term. this is a star topology.

currently we have the following connections:
2x T1 + Time warner Cable > smoothwall > Network
a backup T1 > sonicwall > ISA 2000 > network

the problem is that the speed seems to be the same on both connection.
i ran the speed test on both ways of connection and got the following results:

smoothwall is giving 3.2 mbps
sonicwall > ISA  1.5

even though the result shows different speed, we still see no difference.

Please help!

Ya that the issue topology.  I am not sue how to isolat LAN from WAN in this topology.  its me not you that is confused..  
you need to isolat LAN from WAN in this topology. are you sure it Internet...

The routing of out going packit is were I would like to start But I have not figured how you got to work.

Let's see if I can explain this better.

connection through (smoothwall with a default gateway = 19.X.X.250) using Mozila Firefox, the proxy settings are 192.x.x.250

connection through (sonicwall-ISA  default gateway = 192.x.x.1) Using mozila firefox, the proxy settings are 192.x.x.1

we configured the tcp/ip settings with both default gateways

I hope this helps

of course different public IPs for both connections

No, the Hub you are using a 3com Hub is a Flat or Star model

Do you or anybody else have any advice for solving this issue?

thanks