10GB networks backbones needed?

[SYNACK]

Any V1910's with an HP part number sticker on the back have lifetime NBD replacement warranty (like procurve) and are so cheap that having a couple of spares on the shelf is quite viable even in cash constrained environments. (can you tell I'm a fan?)

 

Maybe things are different in the UK to the rest of the world but the 'truth' here is that they only have three year warrenties:

HP 1910-24G Switch (JE006A) specifications - HP Products and Services Products

HP V1910-16G Switch - 16 Port - Managed Switches - Elive.co.nz

 

I can't even find the V1910 on the UK site so I'm a bit dubious as to the validity of your information.

[glennda]

I don't think LACP is an option if you use VLANS. I read somewhere you can't send tagged packets over LACP trunks but that may be wrong.

[CyberNerd]

I don't think LACP is an option if you use VLANS. I read somewhere you can't send tagged packets over LACP trunks but that may be wrong.

 

That is wrong. We have multiple LACP trucks and VLAN extensively.

[glennda]

That is wrong. We have multiple LACP trucks and VLAN extensively.

 

Ah as said it could of been wrong so is!

[psydii]

Maybe things are different in the UK to the rest of the world but the 'truth' here is that they only have three year warrenties:

HP 1910-24G Switch (JE006A) specifications - HP Products and Services Products

HP V1910-16G Switch - 16 Port - Managed Switches - Elive.co.nz

 

I can't even find the V1910 on the UK site so I'm a bit dubious as to the validity of your information.

 

You're quite right to question a random assertion on the internet when they fail to provide references. Here you go:

From the HP link you provided, click Product Documentation, then click " V1910 datasheet with lifetime warranty final English 357 kB, PDF "

 

Also here is the warranty info for all HP Networking equipment:

HP Networking warranty information

 

 

JE005A HP 1910-16G Switch Lifetime† Next Business Day

JE006AHP 1910-24G Switch Lifetime† Next Business Day

JE007A HP 1910-24G-PoE (365W) Switch Lifetime† Next Business Day

JE008A HP 1910-24G-PoE(170W) Switch Lifetime† Next Business Day

JE009A HP 1910-48G Switch Lifetime† Next Business Day

 

 

There is a caveat 'in most regions' in one of those documents, so you may be unlucky..

[Michael]

If you compare the HP 1910-24G-PoE and the HP 2910-24G-PoE+ this is the most fair comparison as they're both gigabit switches with 24 ports.

 

If you look at the specifications in detail, there is quite a difference in performance:

 

Memory and processor

Module : ARM @ 333 MHz, 128 MB flash, packet buffer size: 512 KB, 128 MB RAM

 

Memory and processor

Processor : Dual ARM1156T2S @ 515 MHz, 4 MB flash, packet buffer size: 6 MB, 1 GB compact flash, 512 MB SDRAM

 

Routing/switching capacity

56 Gbps

 

Switching capacity

128 Gbps

 

The 1910 in my opinion has more the capacity of a high end 48 port 10/100 switch like the J9279A:

 

Memory and processor

J9279A: Processor : MIPS @ 264 MHz, 16 MB flash, packet buffer size: 0.75 MB, 64 MB SDRAM

 

Switching capacity

J9279A: 48 Gbps

 

Bearing in mind gigabit offers considerably higher speed gains, the 1910 series are not going to show any improvement in practice, despite being connected @ 1Gbps. It really means nothing. In the switching world there's virtual gigabit and real gigabit.

[snoerre]

If you look at the specifications in detail, there is quite a difference in performance:

 

Well, it´s really nothing more that both switches support non blocking switching:

 

- V1910: [24x RJ45 ports plus 4x SFP slots(Those SFP ports are not shared with the RJ45 ones)] * 2 == 56Gbit/s

- HP 2910: [24x ports @RJ45/SFP (the 4 SFP ports are shared with the last 4 RJ45 ports) plus 4x 10Gbe optional modules] * 2 == 128 Gbit/s

 

The price of the 2910 is more than twice as much of the V1910. For that price the ex3Com is a bargain...

 

 

PS.: HP networking product summery: http://h17007.www1.hp.com/docs/support/warranty/HPNetworkingProductWarrantySummary.pdf

Edited April 8, 2012 by snoerre

[SYNACK]

For that price the ex3Com is a bargain...

 

Unless you need the features of the 2910 or the warrenty if your outside the preffered customer area for the ex 3com stuff

[Michael]

The price of the 2910 is more than twice as much of the V1910.

 

And there's a good reason for this. The specifications are higher and in practice it offers true gigabit connectivity. The gigabit pipe will be used as much as possible, meaning the network itself will not be a bottleneck.

 

I'd rather the workstation be the bottleneck, rather than the workstation waiting for the network. Most newer workstations can handle decent transfer speeds that exceed that of 10/100. Installing a cheaper gigabit switch is going to perform just as well as a decent 10/100 switch with little gain. Installing a decent gigabit switch, you make use of a fraction of what gigabit has to offer with plenty of capacity for the future.

[snoerre]

Unless you need the features of the 2910 or the warrenty if your outside the preffered customer area for the ex 3com stuff

Hm, which features are you talking about? Is it the optional 10Gbe you are talking? Softwarewise I cannot find anything the 2910 is able to do the 3Com cannot. Btw, is there´s an area where the V1910 doesn´t have an HP warranty, the 2910 wouldn´t have that one there, either...

 

true gigabit connectivity.

As I mentioned before, both are non blocking switches. So both deliver "true gigabit"

Edited April 8, 2012 by snoerre

[CyberNerd]

Hm, which features are you talking about? Is it the optional 10Gbe you are talking? Softwarewise I cannot find anything the 2910 is able to do the 3Com cannot. Btw, is there´s an area where the V1910 doesn´t have an HP warranty, the 2910 wouldn´t have that one there, either...

The 1910 runs comware 5.2 - the same O/S as high end switches such as our 5800, 4900 core series, whereas the 2910 is the old procurve range.

[SYNACK]

Hm, which features are you talking about? Is it the optional 10Gbe you are talking? Softwarewise I cannot find anything the 2910 is able to do the 3Com cannot. Btw, is there´s an area where the V1910 doesn´t have an HP warranty, the 2910 wouldn´t have that one there, either...

 

 

As I mentioned before, both are non blocking switches. So both deliver "true gigabit"

 

Bigger backplane throughput, better routing engine, 10GB abilities, better software - I preffer the hp line stuff - , better warrenty in all areas (the e series has lifetime even in NZ as opposed to the 3 year of the V) and its heavier - meaning in general that it has stronger components like better PSUs or heavier duty boards.

[CyberNerd]

better software - I preffer the hp line stuff

 

I'm in the other camp, and have a lot of 3com stuff and a few procurve bits.

With the 3com acquisition, much of the industry speculated that HP would drop the procurve software in favour of comware. I'm surprised they've kept two platforms running this long, probably to keep existing customers happy for the lower end procurves - if you have a lot of H3C/3com or procurve it's worth keeping consistency in operating systems. So I guess if you have procurves then 2910 is the way forward, they are both budget switches I'd probably have an A3600 anyway

[SYNACK]

I'm in the other camp, and have a lot of 3com stuff and a few procurve bits.

With the 3com acquisition, much of the industry speculated that HP would drop the procurve software in favour of comware. I'm surprised they've kept two platforms running this long, probably to keep existing customers happy for the lower end procurves - if you have a lot of H3C/3com or procurve it's worth keeping consistency in operating systems. So I guess if you have procurves then 2910 is the way forward, they are both budget switches I'd probably have an A3600 anyway

 

The e2910 48 ports still cost around $6k here in we-can-rip-you-off land so budget is not really a word I'd use to describe them here. The V series is around $2k.

 

I think long term hp is going with the 3com OS but probably merged with the hp one which is why there are still two as they have not merged them together yet.

[glennda]

The e2910 48 ports still cost around $6k here in we-can-rip-you-off land so budget is not really a word I'd use to describe them here. The V series is around $2k.

 

I think long term hp is going with the 3com OS but probably merged with the hp one which is why there are still two as they have not merged them together yet.

 

$6k my god! They are around $3000/3500 here (GB£1500-1800)

[SYNACK]

$6k my god! They are around $3000/3500 here (GB£1500-1800)

 

Yeap, welcome to NZ pricing. And we only get a hold of new stuff a year or so after its released everywhere else.

[snoerre]

Well, as SYNACK mentioned, the V1910 is H3C Comware 5.2 based. The current firmware is over 10MB and has many features to offer. V-series vor 2k? Well, you should change your seller: HP Switch V1910 | Geizhals.at EU

[SYNACK]

Well, as SYNACK mentioned, the V1910 is H3C Comware 5.2 based. The current firmware is over 10MB and has many features to offer. V-series vor 2k? Well, you should change your seller: HP Switch V1910 | Geizhals.at EU

 

I don't live in the EU.

[snoerre]

I don't live in the EU.

Sorry SYNACK, haven´t seen the "New Zealand"

[psydii]

To paraphrase a Network Architect I knew a few years ago: Procurve - good custom hardware hampered by an aging OS with poor support (HP Gold partner, $3Bn revenue fwiw). Comware - a remarkable IOS like OS from a Chinese company running on comodity silicon, but who in their right mind would trust the 3Com brand after that stunt they pulled in 2000? (they supported a lot of 3COM clients)

 

However that branding problem is now gone. HP have commited (apparently) to running both lines for the foreseable future. That said, they were pushing comware products 18 months ago, but a quick look now and most solutions come back based around Procurve products (I think -- it is very hard to tell without spending an inordinate amount of time researching)... perhaps they bought a brand but the brain trust remained in China... who knows?

 

The V1910 is an edge device. It will always be limited by its uplink to the core of the network. 10GBe is irrelevent in this line. If it became needed, then a 10GBe capable switch in the future could be installed at the top of the rack and provide LACP trunks down to the V1910s. Also just looking at the specs the V1910 has per port buffers, the procurve has a shared buffer across all ports. The marketing from 18 months ago was all about choosing the right sized switch for its position and load in your LAN. The idea being that for a LAN the size of a school you would save so much with cheap simple edge switchest hat you could afford to buy spares and a PCM licence and still have money left over to spend on front line kit.

 

Though horses for courses of course.

 

 

Randomly I was researching a tangent and stumled upon this: http://www.edugeek.net/forums/networks/90760-new-core-switches-rollout-new-switches.html

which seems relevent to the OP's question.

Edited April 10, 2012 by psydii