I have access to a computer lab that is rarely used. I want to use it to mine bitcoins. But before I dive deep into getting it all running, I'm curious about the feasibility.

My biggest concern is bandwidth. While nobody will care about the power consumption, there is VERY little bandwidth to go around. So how much bandwidth would 20 or so PCs take up?

I'm also not sure if it is even worth it. The computers are anywhere from 2 to 5 years old. But they aren't doing anything...even a few coins a week would be worth it.

I'd also be curious if there was a way to continue to cruch numbers while the internet is disconnected. But from what I've read about bitcoin thus far, I think the answer is no.

Any help appreciated. I'm hoping to turn this into a hybrid economics/IT lesson for some motivated students.

Thanks!