Choosing a Cisco Switch

S

stim

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hey guys,

this is a companion post to my other active thread, which has evolved into more of a discussion about how to configure our office to work with a new voip system.

I am in the process of evaluating Cisco switches for my small business to work with a new set of Cisco 7961G phones and our new Hosted PBX phone system, and i would appreciate any input you guys have on which one to go with.

Our office will have the following devices hooked into the switch:
- 25 PCs
- 18 VoIP phones
- 2 printers
- 1 network drive​

We will need the following features on our new switch:
- PoE
- QoS for the VoIP phones
- Separate VLANs for voice and data
- expandability​

1. The first setup that we are looking at is the oldest and most cost effective: 2x 3524-PWR-XL-EN switches linked together by their GigabitEthernet ports
This setup would only run us about $250-$400 and seems to take care of the elements above.​

2. The next setup that has been recommended is a 2960 switch with PoE. This is a series that I am less familiar with, and I would appreciate any comments. From what I understand, this is the more recent version of the 3524 and, unlike that model, is still supported by Cisco.

3. The last step is looking at the 3560 with PoE. This is a L3 managed switch, and definitely starts to get pricey. Any advantage here?


Since we don't have a large number of users, is there a reason we should look at an L3 vs L2 or L2/L3?

thanks
 
My Vote would be for the 3560 first. layer 3 switching gives you the flexibility for routing vlans for both data and voice and gives you room to grow later down the road.

In comparison

Check out Dell PowerConnect Switches. I would think something in the 6224p or 6248p is what you might want to consider. Easy to configure both through the web gui or the cli interface. easy on the budget for 24/48 gig ports. If you don't need gig ports you can look at the 3524p or the 3548p poe switches (However you will need to get at least 1 6224 or 6248 for the layer 3 switching).

We are working on setting up shortel right now and from what I'm seeing these switches are going to work great for our setup. others have liked them too
 
I'm with calvinj on the powerconnects as a reasonable alternative to cisco gear. What I usually do is since the warranty on those isn't that great and is expensive to get (It covers HW only, you can get the SW updates regardless) I usually just buy an extra one and have it laying around ready to go. Still ends up being way cheaper than cisco for pretty much the same functionality.

If you want cisco though, by all means go for it- just be prepared to pay. :)


 
Like StarTrek4U and calvinj said, go with Dell PowerConnect, I run Cisco and Juniper, but we're a large corporation, The big thing here is the money because its a lot cheaper to go with Dell than Cisco.
 
L3 switches are things like core routers, and used in bigger networks. They are awesome and quite reliable, but very pricey. IMO, why not go with the 2960 Catalyst switch, and say 2600 series Cisco router? It would likely be cheaper than a L3 switch.
 
Sufu said:
L3 switches are things like core routers, and used in bigger networks. They are awesome and quite reliable, but very pricey. IMO, why not go with the 2960 Catalyst switch, and say 2600 series Cisco router? It would likely be cheaper than a L3 switch.
Click to expand...

Are you thinking of a router on a stick kind of thing? I guess I wouldn't. I would want something with a warranty in case something happens to it. Not sure if your going to get that with an older 2600. Plus IMO if you have a need for a l3 switch then a l3 switch is in order. I did some looking today at just a Power Connect 6248P and that is going to run you about 1,900. If you were to do a Cisco 1841 with Smart Net your looking at about 1,110 and couple that with a Power Connect 3548P your right about the same price of the l3 switch itself. I think the router / switch combo leaves you about 200-300 more than just buying the just the l3 switch.

Again. I just want to add some food for thought for the OP. My last job we did nothing but Cisco gear. I liked it a lot since I was comfortable with it. Now in my current role we have nothing but dell switches and what I'm really liking about these is the fact that they are a fraction of the cost. I can actually afford to have a couple of spares laying on the shelf.
 
calvinj said:
Again. I just want to add some food for thought for the OP. My last job we did nothing but Cisco gear. I liked it a lot since I was comfortable with it. Now in my current role we have nothing but dell switches and what I'm really liking about these is the fact that they are a fraction of the cost. I can actually afford to have a couple of spares laying on the shelf.
Click to expand...

This is exactly the same for me, started w/ Cisco moved to Dell- no issues and saving $$
 
Hey guys,

so i just got a bid on a switch and i wanted to run it by you.

after all the talk about low-cost etcetc I think we are looking at this one very seriously. From talking to our voip provider as well, it sounds like we need to go with a Cisco switch (although i really appreciate the insight into the Dell hardware!)

Vology (formerly Network Liquidators) has a refurbished WS-C3560-48PS-E that they are quoting at $2,450.

This satisfies our need for:
- PoE
- # of Ports
- etc​

This look like a good buy?
 
No.


Well in my mind it's a no. I've not been one for refurbished stuff in a prod environment. Maybe a test lab or something that will never hit production. My opinion really

I know your voip provider is pushing you towards Cisco but know that as long as it's poe and meets the standard for the phones you can choose whatever you want.
 
if you cant opt for Cisco, I would choose HP ProCurve over Dell any day of the week.
 
Since you're getting cisco phones you might wanna be careful getting some other brand. Afaik, they do some magic over cdp with cisco switches to set up vlans so you can run only one cable to ip phone and then from phone to pc. Not sure how that works with non-cisco switches.
 
If you're using Cisco phones the VoIP provider is going to tell you to buy Cisco networking gear- it will certainly guarantee you the most compatible solution, however it will also be the most expensive. Going with gear from HP or Dell will cost you less, however you'll most likely end up having to tweak and play around a bit more for it to work.

It really depends on how savvy you are and how much work you want to do.

 
Maybe I'm missing something here but can't you get L3 capable Cisco stuff used on eBay dirt cheap?
 
Sorry for the delay, guys, and thanks for all your comments and help.

We ended up splurging and going for the 3560 48-port PoE. With time becoming a factor deal hunting went out the window.

I'm happy to report though that our install was silky smooth and our only challenge now is reprogramming the switch once we get our voice-dedicated line installed.

Definitely a big step up from our Norstar PBX and 12 daisy-chained 4-port routers...
 
calvinj said:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Cisco-Catalyst-3560-24PS-switch-24-ports-/160472342257?pt=COMP_EN_Hubs

Looks cheap ;)
Click to expand...

Atm, consider me dense as I am in the process of researching l3 type switches.. was the smiley for sarcasm?

Is something like this a complete shot in the dark when it comes to repairs, support, etc?:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Cisco-Catalyst-...645151844?pt=COMP_EN_Hubs&hash=item3f03b54864

Is the reward versus risk worth hunting down a used 3750g-24TS-E (or refresh 3750G-24TS-E1U) versus a 2910al-24g or maybe FESX424 . for my 'small' network? Stackwise is a killer feature but the lifetime warranty with procurve has treated me very nicely.


stim, what hosted pbx and sip carriers did you move forward with?
 
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acesea said:
Atm, consider me dense as I am in the process of researching l3 type switches.. was the smiley for sarcasm?
Click to expand...

Absolute Sarcasm.


I'm all for buy a Cisco switch just as much as the next guy and believe me if I had the budget to do it I would, but in my current position for the cost of something like a 3560g or a 3750g I could all replace 9 10/100 switches I have with gig switches for the cost using dell power connect switches.

With that said and this is purely my opinion so take it for what it's worth, I would buy a switch off from ebay to put into production on my network. That is just a risk that I'm not willing to assume.

Cisco is not the only switch vendor in town anymore. Just as they are not the only router vendor in town anymore either. Do your home work and shop around. Like many of us have talked in this thread check out your other options such as HP Procurve, Dell PowerConnect, Foundry / Brocade and etc to compare against. I have a 6248p as my layer 3 switch for this network and it works great for my needs. Does all of the vlans and etc that I could ask for at this moment.
 
acesea said:
stim, what hosted pbx and sip carriers did you move forward with?
Click to expand...

Hi acesea,

My company ended up going with a company called M5 (www.m5net.com). We were moving from an aging, hand-me-down PBX system that couldn't do much of what we wanted.

M5 is a little pricier because they require a private point-to-point T1 connection, but it means your calls don't get bogged down in the jungle that is the open internet.

We also like the integrations with Outlook and Salesforce, but a lot of voip providers have that functionality.
 
You have no need for a layer 3 switch don't waste money/
 
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