Laptop cabinets with switches...

[cogrady84]

Hi Guys,

 

We're looking at buying 8 laptop cabinets, with 30 laptops in each. The ones we're looking at, apparently come with a built in switch and "Data Transfer Mode".

 

Does anyone have any idea how this DTM works? I can't find much technical information about it, but apparently it allows you to WoL the laptops and transfer data/updates to them from within the cabinet... We run a Cisco managed network, catalyst 2960 switches, 5407R L3 core, and I am struggling to understand the implications of plugging a 24 port unmanaged switch into a 100mbit uplink to our switching infrastructure, and considering the effective linespeed of said switch, wouldnt it take days to transfer the required amount of data to 30 laptops needing a full suite of software/updates etc??

 

Would I be expected to daisy chain 1gb trunk links between each cabinet, replacing the standard unmanaged netgear switch with a 2960 so that I can connect it to VTP and have our VLANS spanned across them etc?

[john]

What make are the cabinets? Lapsafe's by any chance?

[cogrady84]

Yep, Lapsafe

[john]

You could just plug the unmanaged switch into them and I would have thought it would be fine, just on the vlan of that port, but I'm not an expert on that. Is there no way you could just change the switch in the cabinet for a Cisco one of your choice to fit your setup.

 

In terms of data transfer how much data are you thinking of deploying to them?

[featured_spectre]

In theory you should be able to do the trunk to your existing switches, but if possible, see about taking out the switch out, if I remember rightly they are bolted in, but with the write torque wrench you should be able to take those bolts out