IT_CoffeeNeeded Posted March 4, 2024 Posted March 4, 2024 Hi All, My current network infrastructure is old and I have been looking into replacing the switches for a while now. The types of switches I have been looking at, are Layer 3 switches (Going for 48 port POE switches to vastly expand our POE capacity. brands I have looked into is Alcatel, Aruba and Ubiquiti) Problem that I am having is my secondary school has sought advice from an external consultant who has advised purchasing 'cheaper' layer 2 and layer 2+ switches to complete this project (small kick in my ...... that they are seeking external advice but that's another story) My knowledge on switches is basic overall and I was hoping for some advice on whether this was indeed a feasible solution that the external consultant has proposed. small added context. - We have 12 VLans on the network - Our current POE capabilities is maxed, and require more switches with POE capability - Majority of the cabling is Cat5e - External consultant has also asked why we have not considered Wifi7 for the school. - Consultant is recommending Layer 2 and Layer 2+ switches valued at roughly £600 I do have my own opinion on his recommendations, but would like to know the community's opinion.
Aprice Posted March 4, 2024 Posted March 4, 2024 Most of our schools are layer2 at the edge, with a layer 3 switch at the core - typically an Aruba 5406ZL chassis. We find this fairly typical for most secondary sites. We have one site where we are looking at doing L3 at the edge, but only because the site is split with about a mile between each, and to minimise / isolate traffic going between them. (both sites only have 3 or 4 switches). Our go to option if stacking is required would be a 2930M or a 2930F where it is not needed. More cost friendly option would be something like Cambium. Unifi would also be OK, we have a bit of a mixed opinion on them but if you have spares should be fine (I Wouldn't use them at the core, as L3 has always been a bit naff) Take a look at the DFE technical standards, that may swing the view on cheaper switches. WiFi 7 I wouldn't be overly focused on, especially as it doesn't really seem to be fully ratified yet, and your cabling is only 5e so unless that's getting overhauled.
Sephiroth Posted March 4, 2024 Posted March 4, 2024 We were in a similar situation. the answer is that it depends on your network. We have a mix of L2+ at the edge and more powerful L3 at the core and where stacking and density is required. You can happily use L2+ switches if you don't need the L3 capability. It's unlikely that you'll have routing needs at the edge, so you will need at least 1 L3 switch at the core to handle that. L2+ can handle VLANs and STP along with basic network access. For what it's worth, Allied Telesis might be worth a shot, they were a lot cheaper than equivalent switches (both L2+ and L3) when we last purchased. We're now moving to HPE Aruba though as that's what the DFE Connect the Classroom specced.
Olliedawg Posted March 4, 2024 Posted March 4, 2024 I've been slowly replacing our old L2 Netgear/HP switches with these : https://mikrotik.com/product/crs354_48p_4s_2q_rm It's great to not need PoE injectors.. I'd never buy a edge switch now which wasn't PoE
pablo007 Posted March 5, 2024 Posted March 5, 2024 Hi All, Problem that I am having is my secondary school has sought advice from an external consultant who has advised purchasing 'cheaper' layer 2 and layer 2+ switches to complete this project (small kick in my ...... that they are seeking external advice but that's another story) My knowledge on switches is basic overall and I was hoping for some advice on whether this was indeed a feasible solution that the external consultant has proposed. . All of whats been said so far by others is correct but my advice is listen to the consultant, by your own admission you are not an expert in this area, so get as much info/knowledge out of them as possible to fill that knowledge gap. Years ago I was often far too defensive when we had external consultants brought in on academy new builds and ended up regretting it, most really do know their stuff and are happy to share their knowledge and once i realised this i was able to reach out to them for advice on many other unrelated projects.
foofighterjim Posted March 5, 2024 Posted March 5, 2024 Just make sure that whatever they are proposing meets the relevant DfE Digital Standards https://www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-digital-and-technology-standards-in-schools-and-colleges/switch-standards-for-schools-and-colleges
djm968 Posted March 5, 2024 Posted March 5, 2024 Just make sure that whatever they are proposing meets the relevant DfE Digital Standards https://www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-digital-and-technology-standards-in-schools-and-colleges/switch-standards-for-schools-and-colleges This...... and I would also have a look at this. https://www.nen.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/NEN-Secondary-Standard-Network-Design-v3.1.pdf https://www.nen.gov.uk/advice/standard-network-design/ 1
IT_CoffeeNeeded Posted March 5, 2024 Author Posted March 5, 2024 Thanks all for your advice on this, it has been really helpful.
IT_CoffeeNeeded Posted March 5, 2024 Author Posted March 5, 2024 All of whats been said so far by others is correct but my advice is listen to the consultant, by your own admission you are not an expert in this area, so get as much info/knowledge out of them as possible to fill that knowledge gap. Years ago I was often far too defensive when we had external consultants brought in on academy new builds and ended up regretting it, most really do know their stuff and are happy to share their knowledge and once i realised this i was able to reach out to them for advice on many other unrelated projects. I agree getting external advice is always beneficial especially when I have a knowledge gap. I have reservations on this particular consultant after he also recommended the school could reduce costs by continuing to use Windows 10 for an additional 3 years beyond its EOL as long as our antivirus is up to date. So I thought it would be best to reach out to the community for the switches
CrootUK Posted March 5, 2024 Posted March 5, 2024 (edited) I agree getting external advice is always beneficial especially when I have a knowledge gap. I have reservations on this particular consultant after he also recommended the school could reduce costs by continuing to use Windows 10 for an additional 3 years beyond its EOL as long as our antivirus is up to date. So I thought it would be best to reach out to the community for the switches Big LOL! this consultant should be ashamed of suggesting that! AV will not cover a CVE in the OS itself! silly! regs switching same as all previous comments, seconardy l3 at core, l2 at edge. primaries can quite often get away with just l2 and use isp router for any additional l3 stuff. Edited March 5, 2024 by CrootUK 1
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now