Small Site Switch Upgrades

[REK20]

Hey Everyone,

 

Been scouring a few threads on here recently and just wondering what people are doing in terms of switches these days? Looking to replace a few HP Switches that are ageing now, fairly small network size that links back to a main site over WAN.

Aruba seems to still be coming out on top in 'general', ideally looking for something that can manage/setup VLANs and any cloud management would be a bonus!

[timbo343]

I recommend the HP/Aruba 1930 if you're on a budget and only need L2 features.

[RedwayNetworks_Michael]

Hey Everyone,

 

Been scouring a few threads on here recently and just wondering what people are doing in terms of switches these days? Looking to replace a few HP Switches that are ageing now, fairly small network size that links back to a main site over WAN.

Aruba seems to still be coming out on top in 'general', ideally looking for something that can manage/setup VLANs and any cloud management would be a bonus!

 

I would say it really depends on budget, as mentioned there is the 1930 range, personally when we start looking at lower end Aruba its then worth exploring other options too.

If budget allows you could go the CX range with central although i must say im still finding Aruba still to be the worst for stock constraints.

 

One im quite a personal fan of is the Cambium range, yes its not Meraki or Aruba however its fully cloud managed with no licence requirements and also has full vendor support.

 

Happy to show you the demo with an engineer and cover off any other options too that may work for you.

 

Feel free to contact me on the below details anytime.

[dmj]

TPLink everytime for warranty/features.

Vastly underrated, especially on this forum.

[REK20]

Thanks all - Has anyone experience with Ruckus Switches? The WiFi we've had installed is Ruckus so interested in any experience there?

[Jcx500]

For smaller sites we use Aruba instant on switches.

 

If budget allows we go for the usual Aruba stuff

[FN-GM]

i have been installing Cisco Catalyst 9200L for a while now. Very versatile switches. Additional stacking modules and PSU can be added. Can be layer 3 if needed and reasonably priced.

[dmj]

i have been installing Cisco Catalyst 9200L for a while now. Very versatile switches. Additional stacking modules and PSU can be added. Can be layer 3 if needed and reasonably priced.

 

Purely out of interest, I've been burned in the past with Cisco's support policy, and not been able to get (often critical) security updates for Cisco products without a support agreement for the exact device. Have they 'opened up' at all with regards to this lately? IIRC it was with council or contractors provided devices that they then forgot about and we couldn't patch.

[Aprice]

Purely out of interest, I've been burned in the past with Cisco's support policy, and not been able to get (often critical) security updates for Cisco products without a support agreement for the exact device. Have they 'opened up' at all with regards to this lately? IIRC it was with council or contractors provided devices that they then forgot about and we couldn't patch.

 

Similar experience with a lot of our customers, sold Cisco kit before we took over but never have received an update since the kit was shipped, as no support contracts were arranged, or if they were the schools weren't given any details about them.

 

Cisco makes some great kit, I'm just not sure it's the right fit for most schools, especially when Aruba kit offers a better warranty and a more 'open' approach to firmware updates.

[FN-GM]

Purely out of interest, I've been burned in the past with Cisco's support policy, and not been able to get (often critical) security updates for Cisco products without a support agreement for the exact device. Have they 'opened up' at all with regards to this lately? IIRC it was with council or contractors provided devices that they then forgot about and we couldn't patch.

 

You can download the IOS for the 9200L without a support contract. You also get lifetime warranty.

@Aprice how is the warranty with Aruba better please? I don’t have any experience with it.

 

It’s worth mentioning that this isn’t just Cisco. It’s very common for software and hardware vendors not to provide software updates unless you have an active support agreement.

Edited April 9, 2023 by FN-GM

[Aprice]

You can download the IOS for the 9200L without a support contract. You also get lifetime warranty.

@Aprice how is the warranty with Aruba better please? I don’t have any experience with it.

 

It’s worth mentioning that this isn’t just Cisco. It’s very common for software and hardware vendors not to provide software updates unless you have an active support agreement.

If Cisco's offering a lifetime now then it's probably the same. Great as well if the firmware is now available without contracts.

 

We've always had a very positive experience with Aruba / HP switching, especially with some really old HPs that went pop we had those swapped out under warranty next day.

 

It's really the previous IT outfits fault for not supplying support contracts or informing the customer that they need it, it just creates a bit of a headache. Unfortunately it's not just one customer we've found this with it's every single one of them with Cisco kit.

[FN-GM]

It's really the previous IT outfits fault for not supplying support contracts or informing the customer that they need it, it just creates a bit of a headache. Unfortunately it's not just one customer we've found this with it's every single one of them with Cisco kit.

 

It also sounds like a failing on their procurement processes as well. This type of thing should be picked up before the purchase. When I purchase equipment and services I expect to plan out the operational costs throughout it's lifecycle.

Edited April 10, 2023 by FN-GM

[dmj]

I can't even register on Ciscos site to download anything, presumably they want to match my email domain with the contract. Not keen on this sort of thing, knowing the second hand value goes to zero and devices are essentially bricks as soon as you want to transfer.