New Switch Platform RE: HP/3Com merger

[amfony]

Hey Gang,

Just like to bounce some ideas and hear responses re: HP/3com and my situation atm.

We are at the point now where our old 3com 100MB switches are going to be replaced with new 1GB switches. In total our switching layer occupies around 15 indivudual switches of majority 24 with minority 48 ports.

So its time to upgrade. We have always been (for better or worse) a 3com shop. Weve had 1 switch fail in around 7 years and its been easy enough to work with so im actually quite pro 3com even though i know some arn't, specifically in this forum where procurve seems to be the default (might be a UK thing)

However, since the HP buy out i am not sure of the longevity of 3com as a brand. IE should i be pushing 3com now for the next major platform, or should now be the time to move over to the procurve way of life that, i cannot ignore, seems to single handedly be running the UK education system without major issues.

Just at a cross roads, any comments or suggestions are welcome.

Thanks in advance.

[dirtydog]

AFAIK 3COM and PROCURVE will continue to run side by side for now I think in a bid to gauge which products are the most popular. However I think at a later date the products will be branded HP Networking BUT will run 3COM firmware. I have bought a few extra procruves recently and they are exactly the same as always but I did replace our core switches with 3COM 4800G earlier this year.

[SYNACK]

They seem to be rebranding the 3COM stuff as hp stuff on their site, I would say that the product lines will be merged but personally I hope that they go for the hp firmware or at least a hybrid of the two because the hp stuff has been better for me than the 3Com.

I think that you should be looking at the hp lineup (rebranded or not) because that one is more likely to survive any support cull off and being all branded hp there should be more compelling reasons for them to make it all fully compatible between lines.

[bio]

This is keeping me busy as well. We are running a 3com based network here and i am wondering whats going to happen to that series. Actually i am quite OK with 3com's firmware that they put in the 5500 series. I don't have any experiences with HP's firmware. The weird thing is that one can't find any information or roadmaps about these issues. In my opinion they have 2 things in common : crappy technical support and its tough to find good info. and they are pretty cheap compared to cisco. But maybe someone else has some good insights ?

bio..

[plexer]

Be very careful as it now seems that the HP switches available which are the rebranded 3com stuff do not come with an HP lifetime warranty only a 1 -3 year warranty.

The proper procurve stuff still comes with the HP lifetime warranty.

Ben

[nephilim]

Having called HP over the weekend, anything that has a lifetime warranty that is 3com (and was purchased before the merger) will still have the lifetime warranty, and HP will swap it out for the equivalent procurve switch.

[plexer]

Thats good. But be careful when purchasing new equipment.

Ben

[amfony]

hmmm i dont really see a concensus here.

I think there was a valid point made about HP pushing procurve ultimatley over 3com, making procurve a winner in this awkward situation. In addition the lifetime warranty is definatley a positive.
Im never worked with HP firmware, however Im very comfortable with IOS and obviously the 3com older a new OS's. How different could it be?

Based on reputation alone i dont have a problem pushing to move to a HP platform at all. Atleast ill have heaps of edugeek support haha.

Thanks to all for participating.

[Wes]

HP bought 3com for it's huge RnD and manufacturing base in China, which was previously the H3C brand 3com were running as a joint venture company with Chinese networking giant Huwawei and aquired a large slice of the Chinese networking market into the bargain. They also have aquired 3com's data centre switching portfolio which allows them to compete better with Cisco in the data centre space. The RnD will continue to pump out from China. As for now, the HP and 3com products have been aligned together into 3 categories V class (Value) E Class (essential) and and A (Advanced) and all have HP style part codes but other thanthat ary still very much two different products.

[MYK-IT]

Similar situation here, upgraded half the school network with 4200G 3COM switches and I need to upgrade the remainder of the network as some point.

I have been advised that the 4200G 3COM has been replaced with the HP E4210G Switch which (so i have been advised) has HP branding but 3COM firmware / CLI.

[Wes]

Similar situation here, upgraded half the school network with 4200G 3COM switches and I need to upgrade the remainder of the network as some point.

I have been advised that the 4200G 3COM has been replaced with the HP E4210G Switch which (so i have been advised) has HP branding but 3COM firmware / CLI.

Yes, the 4210G was out before the merger was completed (just) and is very much a 3com product. It runs Commware V3 which is the same as your existing 4200Gs. You'll just buy it under a HP part number.