Network Setup

[IanT]

Hi Guys,

 

Just curious to how your network is setup, i.e. what hardware you got on the back end (switches etc)

 

How is your admin and curiculum setup.

 

Thanks.

[Michael]

I primarily use HP switches. If it's a small network, I might have say 3 x 24 port 10/100 switches with 2 gigabit ports. This allows the switches to communicate at gigabit speed and also allow upto 2 servers (generally one curriculum and one admin) to also operate at gigabit.

 

If the network is larger with say 6 x 24 port 10/100 switches or more, I would generally buy a managed gigabit switch at the core, with all switches and servers connected into the core switch; all operating at gigabit.

 

If I am installing wireless, I'm a big fan of PoE (Power over Ethernet) which delivers data and power to access points. This is a very efficient way of managing/controlling access points.

 

And last but not least, always use the same brand of switches and access points in your infrastructure. You're generally guaranteed less compatibility problems and if using managed switches throughout, it simplifies management even further.

[IanT]

okies kool, are your admin and curriculum on the same domain/network? Edited October 4, 2008 by IanT

[kmount]

We are HP Procurve (managed) all the way throughout our Campus and it works perfectly well.

 

We started with two domains (admin/curriculum trusted) but found it easier and more sensible for us to start again with a single domain.

[imiddleton25]

Moved 3 domains into one back in NT4 days it was a nonsense to have 3 domains. ( I inherited it like that). Moved from some little servers to some huge Compaq 8500 8 CPU boxes cheap from ebay.

I was then very fortunate to be given £150,000 to upgrade to server 2003 and xp.

 

Bought an EMC cx-300 SAN

leased 10 Dell 1955 blades and blade center (have bought 2 encloseure and 2 more blades)

Got rid of 17 switches

put in 4 Cisco 6500 core switches

re cabled the whole school to new switches.

 

This is very robust setup all blades ae clustered and so for those lovely users there is no downtime when servers need restarts etc.

well worth the money and even had some change for 2 of us to do MCSE.

[markwilliamson2001]

Sounds like ur place has lots of money....seems like we struggle to provide anywhere near that sort of service.

 

Good on you though for all the hard work.

 

M.

[Michael]

okies kool, are your admin and curriculum on the same domain/network?

 

Yes they're on the same network. There's little need to have two domains.

[IanT]

excellent, thanks guys

 

When the new building opens I WOULD LIKE CISCO STUFF but that would cost a bomb, so next stop will be all HP stuff i've worked with.

[kmount]

The HP procurve kit we have comes with a lifetime warranty which makes it very good value.

[IanT]

what fibre switches do HP do?

[kmount]

Lots ... look at the Procurve range, there's something for everyone.

[IanT]

So many choices lol

[markwilliamson2001]

I would recommend the 2600 series for your edge switches, while we have 3400 and 5300 chassis series for our medium and core switches. Hope this helps.

 

Mark

[djdohboy]

We have just finished implementing a 3 domain forest structure:

 

 

http://atsmedia.cachefly.net/uploads/ats59689_Capture.JPG

 

 

Also we have 7 Vlans to segrigate the traffic across the network, with a 3com managed wireless system (undergoing a rebuild this week) a 3com Gigabit core and HP Procurve 2524 and 2650 edge switches.

 

The routing is set up so that staff can get to all the network, students can only get to the students servers, but if a staff member logs onto a student PC then they have access to most of the network, but no access to the SIMS server.

 

Edited October 5, 2008 by djdohboy

[FN-GM]

We have just finished implementing a 3 domain forest structure:

 

 

http://atsmedia.cachefly.net/uploads/ats59689_Capture.JPG

 

 

Also we have 7 Vlans to segrigate the traffic across the network, with a 3com managed wireless system (undergoing a rebuild this week) a 3com Gigabit core and HP Procurve 2524 and 2650 edge switches.

 

The routing is set up so that staff can get to all the network, students can only get to the students servers, but if a staff member logs onto a student PC then they have access to most of the network, but no access to the SIMS server.

 

 

Im just wondering why you decided to go down the forest route please?

 

thanks

[djdohboy]

Im just wondering why you decided to go down the forest route please?

 

thanks

 

We decided to go the forest route as we are centeralising all of our 3rd party stuff like antivirus, ghosting, Policy centeral, to the root domain so that the load is removed from the child domains, also with the LEA's introduction of a fortinet box we needed a way to split the network down so that the students and staff got different levels of access, with the forest structure this is easier to do, also it makes VLANS a hell of a lot easier.

 

Secondaly there is a security issue, with completly seperate domains the chance for "hacking" across the network is reduced.

 

Thirdly it makes it easier to enforce different domain security policies

 

Hope this helps

[FN-GM]

We decided to go the forest route as we are centeralising all of our 3rd party stuff like antivirus, ghosting, Policy centeral, to the root domain so that the load is removed from the child domains, also with the LEA's introduction of a fortinet box we needed a way to split the network down so that the students and staff got different levels of access, with the forest structure this is easier to do, also it makes VLANS a hell of a lot easier.

 

Secondaly there is a security issue, with completly seperate domains the chance for "hacking" across the network is reduced.

 

Thirdly it makes it easier to enforce different domain security policies

 

Hope this helps

 

Not being awkward here but....

 

I have found that one domain works better than a forest. I work at 2 schools one is come out of a forest onto a single domain and the other is just doing the finishing touches of the planning. We have found there isnt any benefit at all.

[djdohboy]

I inherited the 2 domain structure, and was told by the head that, never the 2 domain will meet, as a kind of belt and braces approach to security. So that the kids will never be able to get to the sims server.

 

The forest structure was implemented so that the domain segrigation still occured but there would be a root domain to be able to centeralise the management software, certificate services, IAS and the like.

 

Got to be better than 2 totally seperate domains like we used to have, that made RADIUS authentication across domain shall we say a tad tricky

[FN-GM]

as told by the head that, never the 2 domain will meet

 

Why would the head have this imput, its your job to judge that surely. The security can be setup on a single domain so the kids cant get into things like sims.

[djdohboy]

Why would the head have this imput, its your job to judge that surely. The security can be setup on a single domain so the kids cant get into things like sims.

 

 

Well the previous network manager is a close personal friend of the HT and it was his recomendation that there should be 2 domains, and now thats the architecture we have, at least it makes things easier in some respects.

[FN-GM]

Well the previous network manager is a close personal friend of the HT and it was his recomendation that there should be 2 domains, and now thats the architecture we have, at least it makes things easier in some respects.

 

I agree with you there.

 

That sinks about the NM and your head though.

[djdohboy]

To be honest now we have the forest structure life is so much easier then it was with two totally seperate domains, it was just a nightmare administrating them both.