Any additional benefit to getting HP Procurve over Netgear Prosafe?

[Cache]

Hi all,

Just a quick question really as I'm going to have to start planning what needs replacing yet so I can try and get more cash out of next years budget hopefully, or atleast make it clear we're going to have to really start looking at these things.

Along with everything else I realise that the network infrastructure while working isn't ideal as it's just been extended as needed so along with getting some areas re-cabled and run back to switches (rather then one link into another switch running upstairs and then several small 4 port switches spawning off that!) is to start to (plan to) get the switches replaced.

I've read a few threads on here and a lot of it seems to be down to personal preference (or I got that impression anyway) but is the additional cost of a procurve switch worth it compared to a netgear prosafe product?

All switches bar 2/3 are currently unmanaged so ideally that will be the next step anyway to bring the network up to managed switches so doing both and either getting netgear or HP in and gradually replacing them and standardising on one manufacturer seems to make sense in my head.

Is that the right way to try and tackle it or should I approach it another way?

Cheers

[gaz350]

I think procurve genrally are the best overall for price/performance/warrenty. Not sure what other vendors currently provide but procurves lifetime next buisness day swap out is a pretty good deal. They also do a buy back deal per port when you come around to upgrading the switch in future.

[teejay]

Procurve stuff is very good, but depends on size and complexity of your network if its worthwhile. Don't forget that if you want a fully managed system with the Procurve switches you also need to buy the Procurve Manager software, which is superb. Allows you to monitor, manage, configure and update your switches together as a whole group rather than individually.

[Cache]

Thanks guys, will write it down and have a chat with the bursar and see where we en up!

Cheers