Replacing switches

[itskdog]

9 minutes ago, mikkydoos said:

You can't even stack the switches.. a basic feature.

 

I personally got put off of Ubiquiti gear by the lack of documentation (I like good documentation so I can learn how to use the product without needing to go on a training course), but this is just false, you just have to go for the right model, as with all brands.

 

From their website: https://www.ui.com/switching

 

[mikkydoos]

1 minute ago, TheHyperTechie said:

I guess that's why NASA were looking to procure it 🧐

Yeah. Put it on the moon and leave it there.

 

[mikkydoos]

1 minute ago, itskdog said:

 

I personally got put off of Ubiquiti gear by the lack of documentation (I like good documentation so I can learn how to use the product without needing to go on a training course), but this is just false, you just have to go for the right model, as with all brands.

 

From their website: https://www.ui.com/switching

 

Half their range says...  "Switch Stacking.. Coming soon"

 

 

[AlphamaleZed]

59 minutes ago, mikkydoos said:

I would say ignore the DfE specs... they are guidelines, not outright requirements..

 

Aim for a minimum of 40gb backbone to future proof... even if you don't have the cabling in place yet.

 

Avoid Unifi   (wait for the shouting at me....  don't bother). Its not enterprise grade equipment... it's just cheap/cost effective. You can't even stack the switches.. a basic feature... although it is cheap. Unifi switches are OK... but just OK, AP's are terrible. No network expert would advocate Unifi. 

 

 

A lot of network gear nowadays is subscription based management and its a filthy way of vending products, and massively expensive.

 

 

My tuppence..... Cisco, Aruba or whatever mainstream brand doesn't require cloud management/subscriptions.  Ruckus seemed good when I last looked. 

 

 

www.performancenetworks.co.uk have been really helpful to me and have hooked me up with meetings with manufacturers to thrash out the right spec for Wi-Fi and switches.... and they'll do a survey/analysis for you at not a great cost.

 

 

and... wait for the impending Unifi bashing....

 

 

EDIT:  Just read the TPLink/Omada bit in your original post....   don't go near them

 

 

 

 

 

what about the unifi enterprise fortress lol? They also have stacking switches avail too.

[Chuckster]

Does the DfE still do the Connect The Classroom? Is this something you could investigate?

 

The schools I worked across managed to secure new Aruba switches, Wi-Fi, Cat6 cabling, OM4 fibre etc. It saved the schools boat loads of money at the expense of taxpayers. No doubt prices were doubled because it was a cash cow for companies, but it was literally zero expense to the schools.

[synaesthesia]

4 minutes ago, Chuckster said:

Does the DfE still do the Connect The Classroom? Is this something you could investigate?

 

The schools I worked across managed to secure new Aruba switches, Wi-Fi, Cat6 cabling, OM4 fibre etc. It saved the schools boat loads of money at the expense of taxpayers. No doubt prices were doubled because it was a cash cow for companies, but it was literally zero expense to the schools.

And the subscription for anything nonsense like Aruba Central would still have to go on top, outside of that funding.

[Chuckster]

14 minutes ago, synaesthesia said:

And the subscription for anything nonsense like Aruba Central would still have to go on top, outside of that funding.

True, but then you get rid of the cloud subscription and revert to back to managing it on-prem. Sounds simple in the grand scheme of things, but I suppose it depends on how far invested you are with the subscription.

[dmj]

Interesting how much branding really comes into effect here. At the end of the day all the major switch vendors are just running a linux stack with kernels that have been battle tested. 

[Space_Munkey]

On 27/03/2026 at 12:15, Chuckster said:

Does the DfE still do the Connect The Classroom? Is this something you could investigate?

 

The schools I worked across managed to secure new Aruba switches, Wi-Fi, Cat6 cabling, OM4 fibre etc. It saved the schools boat loads of money at the expense of taxpayers. No doubt prices were doubled because it was a cash cow for companies, but it was literally zero expense to the schools.

 

I believe you have to be apart of the RISE programme to be eligable as I looked into this as an option for extra funding recently - 

Quote

Schools currently receiving targeted intervention through the regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) programme will be eligible for connect the classroom.

 

List of RISE Schools:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6985ee56cfe7ccf77efbc74d/List_of_schools_in_the_RISE_targeted_intervention_programme.xlsx