Switch Recommendation

[Ste_Harve]

Hi people,

 

I'm after some recommnedations for switches. What we're after is a core switch that has 8 fibre 1000Base SX modules min. Looking to maybe go to 12 for big trunks. Has to have 12 min cat 5 1000Base T.

 

So far i've come up with Allied Telesyn AT-X900-24XS which is a 24 port SFP switch with 2 30Gb/s expansion bays. This would allow us to go to 10Gb/e in the future. This comes in at just under 4.5k so would like to try and stay aroud the same budget.

 

Rest of kit around the school is HP Procurve and I like them, but they seem expensive for a switch with similar features.

 

Cheers

[plexer]

You can get an HP 5308XL chassis with 2 x sff gbic modules and 1 16port 1000mps copper module plus the required 8 sff gbics for £4.5K

 

Probably less if you buy one of them with some modules pre installed.

 

Ben

[Abaddon]

We've been using a couple of 5306's in the above configuration for about 3 years now... decent kit, no problems with them at all.

[localzuk]

I'd recommend the 5400zl series as it has a much faster backplane speed so it will be able to handle 10Gb connections more smoothly when you use them in the future.

 

We have a 5406zl with a 24 port sfp module and a 24 port 10/100/1000 copper PoE module and this cost us ~£3,800 + the gbic's themselves which were about £170 each. This means we have room to expand also, with 4 spare module slots on the unit. It has 10Gb modules available also.

[Geoff]

When you say you want to go to 10Gbit, are you sure you can? What grade fibre do you have?

[Ste_Harve]

Our fibre is 50/125 OM3. Fibre is good for the 10Gbe setpu. I've been looking at the HP 5400 series but can't seem to get the price low enough for our needs.

 

This allied telesyn is still looking the best bet as of now. Any one any experience of their kit?

 

Well just been trawling through some sites and managed to find the HP 5400 with gbics and 24port POE 10/100/1000 has come in at £4551!!

 

EDIT - Make that £5625. I forgot that the actual chassis itself hadn't been added to the basket. Think i'm going to ring round and try and get some better pricing.

[plexer]

Speak to the guys at european electronique.

 

Ben

[carnforthhigh]

Nice to know some people can afford 4.5k for a switch, we can hardly afford £200 for a switch at our school.

[localzuk]

I'll second plexer on that. That's where we got it from - you definitely can't go by any web prices for HP gear.

[plexer]

Carnforth: Do you need a new switch then? if so what are you looking for?

 

Ben

[carnforthhigh]

Carnforth: Do you need a new switch then? if so what are you looking for?

 

Ben

 

ideally we are looking for a decent gigabit switch to connect our servers to, also with fibre connectivity to connect our 2 fibre links aswell.

[Geoff]

ProCurve 2800 series then? With a couple of mini GBIC's in it?

[localzuk]

@Geoff - that wouldn't be near his £200 mark... More around £1600 mark (including the gbic's).

[Paid_Peanuts]

I have found through experience the following switches to be very reliable and about as cheap as you will find anywhere:

 

Netgear GSM7212 - 12 port managed Gigabit switch (12 auto-sensing 10/100/1000 Mbps ports / 12 Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP*) fibre interfaces)

 

Linksys SRW2048 - 48 port 10/100/1000, 4 shared Small Form-Factor Pluggable fibre interfaces

 

Both switches operate within our server room and have performed reliably since the word go. For those who’s budgets aren't Hugh then I would certainly recommend these.

[Paid_Peanuts]

I have found through experience the following switches to be very reliable and about as cheap as you will find anywhere:

 

Netgear GSM7212 - 12 port managed Gigabit switch (12 auto-sensing 10/100/1000 Mbps ports / 12 Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP*) fibre interfaces)

 

Linksys SRW2048 - 48 port 10/100/1000, 4 shared Small Form-Factor Pluggable fibre interfaces

 

Both switches operate within our server room and have performed reliably since the word go. For those who’s budgets aren't Hugh then I would certainly recommend these.

[localzuk]

Remember, Linksys is a part of Cisco and should have a similar level of quality to their products - and I have always found this to be the case.

[Ric_]

@localzuk: You would think so but the two ADSL modem/routers that I have had the 'pleasure' of owning have both been pretty shocking IMHO.

[Paid_Peanuts]

I am pretty sure the business range of equipment from Linksys are built to a much higher spec than the home equipment.

 

For example when i watch my Linksys SRW2048's boot through the console port it resembles the boot process of a Cisco 2900 switch! I think the Linksys has the same fundamental internals as the Cisco! The only difference being the Linksys has a cut down number of features only really accessible through the web GUI and not command line. I presume they have done this to stop people from buying Linksys instead of Cisco...

[Tom_ONI]

Regards Cisco and Linksys

 

The key difference between Cisco and Linksys is the technology inside the product. With Cisco switches, the technology inside (i.e. the switch silicon) is developed in house by Cisco's own R&D. This is possible because of the cost model for Cisco products, which directly feeds R&D budgets.

 

For Linksys products, the cost model does not allow for such a massive investment into R&D, and therefore most Linksys products are built using off the shelf silicon, and so tend to have less in the way of unique features and functions. Obviously, there is overlap at the high end of the Linksys range and the low end of the Cisco product range.

 

Cisco infrastructure is usually supporting advanced technologies such as IPT IPTV, IPCCTV etc and this is where the advanced technology and R&D really shine.

 

However for a basic switch Linksys should do fine, at the end of the day it is more SOHO than corporate.

 

Tom

[Messa]

I Would Recommend HP Procurve 2848