Recommend me a core switch please

[Jobos]

Right, after a lot of messing about trying to setup VLANS I've come to the conclusion we need a layer 3 core switch. At the moment we have a flat network made up from HP 1810, HP 1910 switches plus an unmanaged Belkin switch all linked by copper to a Netgear 7224 which is acting as the core switch . The maximum devices in use at any one time is around 200.

 

To keep it simple I would prefer to use HP switches so they are all the same.

 

Bearing in mind this is a primary school what core switch should I be looking at please?

[localzuk]

I'd look at one of the HPE ProCurve 3800-24G models.

[IanT]

I would recommend the HP 5400 zl Switch Series, better for expanding!

[cpjitservices]

Juniper EX2200/4200

[bald_pig]

I would recommend the HP 5400 zl Switch Series, better for expanding!

 

+1 for the 5400's, we have three of them here, solid switches.

[CAWJames]

I recommend the HP Comware switches, we were looking at the large 5400 vs the modular comware range, taking advice from Nick at SwitchShop. We went for 2 5800 switches and as they work as one(in an IRF) when connected with 10G fibre, we have extended our server room into our office with no degradation of performance(that we notice anyway), and as they stack, secondary cores and edges are easily connected.

[jamesfed]

Using many SFPs are you using at the moment?

 

+1 for a 3800 series - its effectively the 5400 series but in a fixed port design (if you can afford one) with the full feature set of routing.

 

However......the 2920 series does static routing which would enough in most cases and is much cheaper.

[Blue_Cookeh]

We're a primary and went for the HP 2920-48G a couple of months back, it's layer 3 and has room for expansion later on.

 

Be warned, it's a little noisy though!

[sonofsanta]

I recommend the HP Comware switches, we were looking at the large 5400 vs the modular comware range, taking advice from Nick at SwitchShop. We went for 2 5800 switches and as they work as one(in an IRF) when connected with 10G fibre, we have extended our server room into our office with no degradation of performance(that we notice anyway), and as they stack, secondary cores and edges are easily connected.

 

Same here (although it was Mike at SwitchShop who advised us ) and they've not skipped a beat in 3½ years. Worked out a decent chunk cheaper than the 5406zl and allowed us to re-use our existing 3COM SFPs; they should work with either 3COM or HP SFPs if you have them lying around.

[CAWJames]

Oh yes also an advantage of the comware HP range is that it can use compatible SFP's where a lot of the Procurve only used procurve ones Mix and match

[Jobos]

Thanks for the response. Being a primary the HP 2920 looks more in our budget. It would be nice to have better kit but there's no money for it and I will think myself lucky if the HP 2920 gets the go ahead.

 

As a side note when I said we needed a layer 3 switch I was pointed at this Netgear GSM7324 24-Port Layer 3 Managed Gigabit Switch | eBay so you see what I'm up against

[sonofsanta]

Netgear is horrible.

 

If budget is tight (when isn't it?) then the HP A5120's are also excellent. We use them here in major cabs, you can stack them if necessary for redundancy/expansion (as with the 5800), PoE models are available, all Layer 3. About £1700ish ex VAT, though that price is a couple of years out of date now. Comware, so same flexibility with SFPs as the A5800.

[bald_pig]

Thanks for the response. Being a primary the HP 2920 looks more in our budget. It would be nice to have better kit but there's no money for it and I will think myself lucky if the HP 2920 gets the go ahead.

 

As a side note when I said we needed a layer 3 switch I was pointed at this Netgear GSM7324 24-Port Layer 3 Managed Gigabit Switch | eBay so you see what I'm up against

 

Ooh, that's up the road from me