What’s everyone doing for Core switches now-a-days?

[snagrat]

Need to install VLANs at a customer so need to look at a reliable L3 stack at the core.

 

From here I need to feed about 12 other locations with a 10GB backbone.

 

Any suggested on what switches we look at installing?

 

For the 10GB we could reduce the amount of SFP+ ports required by having two rings around the school serving different cabinets. This would reduce the 10GB ports down to only 4, whereas doing as a star topology would require 12 ports.

 

Ideally need 10GB ports for servers as well.

[FN-GM]

What make of switches are at the edge?

[snagrat]

What make of switches are at the edge?

 

They are also being replaced. Complete overhaul of the whole network.

[PotNoodleTech]

I would always recommend having a fibre to each cab rather than daisy chaining switches.

[Zoom7000]

When I took over at my 3 sites, none of them had a core switch and the layer 2 switches were unmanaged Netgear switches. (One site even had ONLY 10/100 switches!)

 

I've since installed Meraki MS250 layer 3 switches and slowly replacing the layer 2 switches with MS120 or MS225 where possible.

[chris11256]

We have a pair of Cisco 4500X switches in our core, although we don't stack them as they're in separate server rooms. This gives us 10Gbps to edge stacks, distribution switches, and the other core switch.

 

Also agree that it's better not to daisy chain your switches.

[AlanD]

Hang on a minute....

 

You don't HAVE to have a L3 core switch to provide VLANs.....you might decide to serve DHCP from a server or some other source...and/or provide VLKAN to VLAN routing via - say a router...

 

And most (All?) L2 switches support Vlans...and LAGs.... and LAGs might be a much more cost effective way to deliver higher bandwidth than 10G.

 

And are you really sure your servers deliver the data rates that would require 10G? Because they almost certainly won't if they are fitted with 7K2 near line drives ...but yes they would if you have a large SSD array?

 

All too often I hear of schools saying - lets speed things up by putting in 10G - and in practice it makes next to no difference, and certainly no more difference than putting in a LAG and using LAGs provide redundancy as a bonus.

 

Having said that 10G for a fresh makeover might be sensible even if it brings little benefit as the end user is concerned because in a few years down the line when we all have SSD arrays and multi gigabit internet connections it will come in handy.

 

I/We use netgear. Often much maligned (some units very noisy, early firmware buggy, clunky slow web interface - if you use it, different web interface on different models....) but they work just fine - and are really cheap - especially if you buy S/H units off ebay (and why wouldn't you? You wouldn't buy a new Mondeo from a dealer would you....you'd buy the same model that's one year old for half the money). I repeat what I have said on these forums before...DONT BUY the genuine netgear fibre modules. They are expensive, and have a high failure rate. Get the cheap Chinese ones for £10. They work fine - possible better than the genuine ones, over distances that exceed the specs and they don't fail. And despite my reluctance about 10G - we to have a 10G "ring" of switches as our core with UPS units at each of the "core" cabinets around the site. Each cabinet has at least two core switches and there are always two LAG connections going off to Edge switches. This means that any fibre or module can fail in the core, or any core switch, and edge switches still get a working service. Needless to say...since in stalling it that...nothing has ever failed to make the investment worthy of installation...but it gives some piece of mind.

 

If you are putting in new stuff...I'd want to give some thought to PoE switches...because many of the new AC2 wireless access points require 802.11at in order to work with all their features. Most are compatible to some extent and will work off 802.11af but only by sacrificing some features...like being able to use two ethernet ports for speed and redundancy. To future proof you would need PoE+ switches. Not much point in putting in new stuff and then when comes to changing your wireless in a couple of years finding you have to update all your edge switches again.

 

I number of users on this forum like the unify units - which have the same look and feel as Unify access points to manage. And I'd be giving them a good look if starting again.

[Davit2005]

Unifi Wireless yes, Unifi Switches no. But Edgeswitches are Better.

 

Ubiquitti do not offer any stacking and offer limited redundancy for connections but I guess it depends on the size of the network.

 

I'd be going for a Star topology, I know this will put your port count up but it will simplify the network a hell of a lot

[PotNoodleTech]

I've had 3 ubiquiti switches fail so I would be wary about rolling those out in anger.

[ITGuyWestMidlands]

dont use ubiquiti at the core, but a good solution at the edge with a spare in the cupboard. Look at Aruba modular switches for the core if doing inter-vlan routing

[jb2201]

In my opinion you want an / a pair of Aruba 5400r for core switches and Aruba 2540 at the edge, you want your l3 core switch providing your routing so that you’re not bottle necking by allowing a router with a 1gb uplink to handle the routing.

 

This is on the more pricey side but it’s a good long term solution, as the core will be a chassis switch you can pick and choose which modules you need to suit your needs.

[snagrat]

Thanks for all the comments.

Looking at multiple solutions at the minute. May go the Ruckus wireless route so looking at their ICX switch range.

[Wave9_Matt]

Hi snagrat.

 

Have you looked at the Meraki MS425-16's?

These are 1u, 16 port SFP+ based and stackable via 2x QSFP ports. For 10gig Server connectivity then the MS-355-24X (also stackable) offers 8x mGig copper ports along with 16x GigE ports. Both support LAG for increased uplink capacity and resilience.

 

PM if you'd like to discuss.

 

Thanks

Edited January 21, 2019 by Wave9_Matt

[Net-Ctrl]

Thanks for all the comments.

Looking at multiple solutions at the minute. May go the Ruckus wireless route so looking at their ICX switch range.

 

If you need any help with the Ruckus ICX switches, please let me know. We have installed them at quite a few sites now with no issues. Their 7150/7250 range is well priced and aimed at the EDU market. They also have licenses to upgrade certain ports at a later date to allow for 10gig etc should you ever want/need to go in that direction.