Upgrading our switching

So we're about to thrust some fibre about the place to connect our patch panels, and as part of this project we are going to replace all our switches to get nice and standardised.

At the moment we run a mix of gear, generally whatever has been a reasonable price when we needed it.

Roughly, it looks something like this.

Core: Requires 48 ports
Netgear GS724T (24 port 10/100/1000 + 2xSFP)
No name 24 port 10/100 managed piece of shit

Panel1: Requires 48 ports
Netgear GS716T (16 port 10/100/1000 + 2xSFP)
3com Superstack 4200 (24 port 10/100 + 2x1000 + 2xSFP)

Panel2: Requires 24 ports
3com Superstack 4200 (24 port 10/100 + 2x1000 + 2xSFP)

Panel3: Requires 24 ports
Allied Telesis AT-8000S/24 24 port 10/100 + 2x1000 + 2xSFP)

So, biggest problem is going to be at the core, where I will have 3 separate fibre runs coming in, one from each of the 3 sub panels. As far as I'm aware, that's one TX and one RX right? So a single run is going to take up 2 SFP ports? or will they plug into a single SFP? I'm new to the fibre game so unsure here. Am I going to need something with multiple SFP ports, or will it need to be multiple switches?

Since we can roll the cost in as an infrastructure upgrade and make the Ministry pay for it, we can most likely afford to spend a little more. I'm keen to move to all gig-e ports now, our management/config requirements aren't that intensive, and we haven't had any issues with the current cheap Netgear or 3com stuff, and the AT is brand new (supplied by cabling contractor) so no idea if it's any good.

What the hell would people suggest?

Each run of fibre will only take up one port.

You can look to get a switch that has multiple qbic slots (so the fibre plugs straight in via a module you add to the switch) or if cost is an issue you can look at fiber to ethernet transceivers.

so it would go fibre -> into transceiver(maybe via a fibre patch panel and patch lead) -> ethernet out -> into switch port

for a cheap managed switch I haven't had any problems withe smc tiger switch (some of the lowend stuff gets a bit nasty). Cheap compared to ciscos when all you want is gig and basic management (vlan, ability to graph via snmp, port mirroring)

Oh wicked! That's good to know, makes things much easier for me.

Long time no see fella!

Hi Chris,

Make sure the fibre being installed is OM3 (50micron) not OM1 as this gives you better future bandwdith over a longer distance.
Make sure they terminate the fibre on Fibre Patch panels at all ends, & I'd recommend you have it terminate on LC connectors/couplers on the fibre panels as SFP modules are LC so would mean you'd need LC to LC Duplex Fibre Leads, rather than mixing the fibre patch lead connector types.

Looking at your situation, i'd install a managed 48 port 10/100/1000T with 4x SFP Bays in your core. Populate this with 3x SFP modules and install SFP modules into each of your edge switches (1 per switch required) the same manufacturer as the switch.

Use fibre patch leads to patch from the SFP module to the Fibre Patch panel

With most 48port switches with SFP bays when you populate the SFP bay you lose a copper port, so in your instance you'd have 45x 10/100/1000T ports + 3x SFP fibre ports = 48ports.
You'd need a 2nd switch in the core for the remaining Copper ports you need. Best bet is to get one that stacks off the backplanes of both switches, if you can't, then i'd port trunk 2x ports in each switch so that they act as 1x Tunnel. Preferrably both switches would be 10/100/1000T switches so you could get a 2Gig duplex link going between switches.

I'd also recommend you plug your server(s) into the same switch that the fibre links are running off, in the above they'd be in the 48port switch, as this will reduce potential bottlenecks.

Allied Telesis (Telesyn) switches are widely used in Schools as part of the MoED ICT Upgrades so a lot of contractors use their switches. The main thing is that you have managed switches, that are supported in NZ.

Last point.... Make sure you get your cabling contractor to Test the Fibres and provide to you a Manufacturer Warranty & to give to you a copy of the Test Results. Ask for them to be tested with a certified tester such as a Fluke DTX.
If they won't let me know and I can organise to have it independantly tested before you pay them.
We are currently doing this for a few Schools due to Network issues they are experiencing from badly installed and terminated fibre installs.

If you need help.. you can always drop me an email

*looks at cisco switches off the back of a truck on ebay and wonders why you'd go anywhere else - nothing could possibly go wrong!

(Biggie's firewall and switch both run sweet!)

Brit: cheers, that matches up with what I've figured out. Will watch out for the OM1/3 stuff. Will most likely drop you an email at some point when we tender out the switches.


Cisco would be nice but likely way way way way out of budget.

Be looking at 2 x Cisco Catalyst WS-C2960G-48TC-L and 2 x Cisco Catalyst WS-C2960G-24TC-L, plus SFP modules. Ascent list for example is $7371 and $4093 per unit respectively.