Why Cisco switch over 3com switch

I would go with the Cisco because I have seen more random lock up issues on 3com gear than I can count.
 
The 3560-24TS is not a POE switch, the -24PS is the one you want if you want POE.

Make sure you understand the QoS limitations of the 3com switch. From what I understand, their QoS support is VERY basic (perhaps someone here more familiar with it can comment on exactly what it can do). I know the 3560 supports a ton of QoS options (I'm working with QoS on one as we speak), including remarking packets, shaped/shared round-robin with priority queueing, extension of trust boundaries to cisco IP phones (if you use them), and adjusting mappings of different markings.

Also, the routing support on it (3com) is limited to RIP and statics. Could be an issue if you're running a network using a different routing protocol.
 
Cisco, because everytime you add another vendors networking gear to a Cisco rack John Chambers kills a kitten.
 
I'd prefer Cisco because it would be easier to support in the long run... at least in my opinion...
 
I agree with unix_foo :)

Actually, I would go with the Cisco, I've stopped counting the number of customers where we've gone in seeing weird issues, start pulling core 3com switches and put cisco or hp switches in their place and the issues magically go away, both managed and unmanaged 3com switches. They also don't have as many features from what I have found.

That being said, I have a friend in the IT field who is in the National Guard and he swears by 3com switches...for what that's worth.
 
niccoli said:
I agree with unix_foo :)

Actually, I would go with the Cisco, I've stopped counting the number of customers where we've gone in seeing weird issues, start pulling core 3com switches and put cisco or hp switches in their place and the issues magically go away, both managed and unmanaged 3com switches. They also don't have as many features from what I have found.

That being said, I have a friend in the IT field who is in the National Guard and he swears by 3com switches...for what that's worth.
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Any particularly good place to buy cisco from?
 
Yeah, 3com's have an issue with multicasts too.
I can't multicast connected to certain closet switches, or they slow down to nothing.
 
Asgorath said:
Any particularly good place to buy cisco from?
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Used - ebay isn't bad, I use a vendor called optimumdata, have bought quite a bit of used cisco equipment from them and have had very good luck, they are very easy to work with and they have overnighted me parts on numerous occasions to get me out of a bind.

New - I usually get pricing through at least 3 different vendors that I have used in the past, all are good but, as I have found with all cisco equipment, the markup is a joke. I normally get 3 quotes and then play them off each other, usually at least one of them will give me a better deal and that's who I use
 
unix_foo said:
Cisco, because everytime you add another vendors networking gear to a Cisco rack John Chambers kills a kitten.
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HAHAHAHA.....that is awesome!!

versello said:
I'd prefer Cisco because it would be easier to support in the long run... at least in my opinion...
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Well I agree with your generalized statement, it wouldn't make it easier if the IT person putting them in, doesn't know Cisco IOS.
 
JayAre said:
HAHAHAHA.....that is awesome!!



Well I agree with your generalized statement, it wouldn't make it easier if the IT person putting them in, doesn't know Cisco IOS.
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Some of the Cisco switches have Web GUIs to set them up. You don't necessarily have to know IOS.
 
HP Procurve 2626-PWR (J8164A). No crazy 3Com issues, and an alternative to the Cisco Machine

Do a froogle search, they turn up for $1200-$1500.

And Lifetime, " Hey guys, my switch is broke. Ship me a replacement Next-Day!" warranty FTW!
 
Eickst said:
Some of the Cisco switches have Web GUIs to set them up. You don't necessarily have to know IOS.
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While this is true. Not all commands that are available through the web GUI, as they are through the CLI.
 
JayAre said:
While this is true. Not all commands that are available through the web GUI, as they are through the CLI.
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Oh no, definitely not all commands are there. But you can do basic setup, VLANs, QoS, etc. in a limited fashion. More than enough for a small company who's IT guy has no clue what he's doing anyway.
 
We have manged 3Com throughout our school district, and have had just one problem: on one of our three 7750s, a single 48-port blade stopped responding and took out a third of a campus. Reseated it, problem solved. We think the blade is bad, but don't have the time now to take down the network to test it.
 
Look into HP's Procurves, as reliable as Cisco, great support and lifetime warranty, all for quite a bit less money.
 
I have to agree with the people that have suggested the HP Procurve.

We are swapping out our older Cisco switches with an HP Procurve model. We looked at a Cisco solution and an HP solution, and the HP was more cost effective. Same features for the most part, the Cisco didn't have POE and the HP did, but the HP was 1/2 the price of the Cisco. Plus we would have had to spend an additional $4K per year on Smartnet for the Ciscos.
 
Eickst said:
Some of the Cisco switches have Web GUIs to set them up. You don't necessarily have to know IOS.
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Umm...kinda. The web interface is good for basic stuff and monitoring, but most advanced tasks are still easier to do via IOS. Then there are some commands that aren't available anywhere BUT the IOS.
 
One other recommendation, Extreme Networks, I use their switches quite a bit and overall compared to a Cisco switch side by side I've almost always found the extreme to be much easier to work with and quite a bit faster. I have one of their Black Diamond 6808's at the core of my fiber to the prem network and it's very good at what it does, route packets, BGP routing, 150 VLAN's on it and the thing just sits there and goes, switching packets all day without a problem.
 
My manager ask my team to find ways to cut some budget. The stupid Avaya whore in my team mentioned that we could stop rolling out Catalyst 3750 at the access layer for HP ProCurve or Extreme. HP ProCurve is ok, pretty good deal with their lifetime warranty. Although they currently do not have a 1U unit that can push 15w POE on all 48-port. A requirement for my company's line of business. We demoed Extreme and we were fairly pleased. No proprietary technology and pretty robust gear. The chasis based gear that we demoed switches fast...i mean fast. I was getting ready for Extreme but a couple Cisco !!!!!!s opposed the idea. To cut the story short , something lead to another .... stability and redundancy was brought up and now we are getting ready to roll out 6509 with dual sup32/dual ps at the access layer. It turns out, by dropping smartnet on every access layer device that we own and just carrying spares for emergency we were able to save the $500k my manager was trying to cut.
 
ProCurve all the way. We buy broken units off of eBay on the cheap and get them replaced using their lifetime warranty.

There is nothing like getting a broken 2650-pwr for $300 off of eBay and exchanging for a new one from HP through their warranty. :cool:
 
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