Grab a drink cuz this is long
The Scenario:
So a while ago, we setup a new office and my inexperienced self had to setup the network. I understand the data side (mostly), but still don't have the practice I need for the VOIP/networking part.
We have 3 floors that we'll call floor 5,6,7. Our main server room w/racks is on floor 7 and our cables terminations end there. We'll have data and VOIP phones on all floors for 200-300 users, but most users on floor 6 and 7.
So we currently have Linksys SRW2048 Gig switches on the 5th floor connected to another SRW2048 on the 7th floor via a fiber connection. Internet comes in via a fiber cable to the SRW2048. The SRW2048 connects to a Cisco 24 port L3 Gig switch which handles all the vlans and routing. I'd like to move hte fiber drops to the Cisco switch, but the cisco SX SFPs didn't work... not sure if there's a setting on the cisco switch or what, but it wasn't plug and play like the linksys switch was...
The Issue:
I'm trying to optimize/prioritize VOIP calls and can't find much documentation on how to do this w/the Linksys switches. I have a separate VLAN for each floor and a VLAN for voice and wireless. I'd like to have all the phones on one subnet and all the wireless segmented off on another. One thing we'd like to do is use a wifi VOIP phone between floors, but that's yet to be implemented.
So what's the optimal way to setup the switches? all the cubicles/offices have at least 2 RJ45 ports, on/twoe for data and one for voice.
Option A: set all the ports to trunk and manually set the phones to a voice VLAN. This means I have to manually goto all the phones to set the VLANs, but would allow me to place phones in any jack.
Option B: Designate white ports to be voice and blue ports to be data and set all the linksys ports to the voice vlan. Leave one port on the linksys switch to trunk back to the Cisco switch. I don't have to manually set all the phones and the linksys switch is on a different vlan from the users. Downside is I have more to configure on the linksys switch, but at least I can use lcli for that. I set each port to General and designate the PVID to the voice VLAN. since I can't set a default trunk VLAN in the linksys switch.
Option C: Similar to Option B, but I set specific ports on the main Cisco switch to be voice and data and set the linksys ports to trunk. Less configuration on the linksys switches, but the switches are exposed on the user network.
I think I read the QOS on the cisco switch can only be set on the port and not on a vlan... not sure though...
What's the recommended best practices for implementing VOIP vlans in a network like this? We haven't purchased equipment for the middle floor, but the linksys switches are out of production. I'm lookin at the Dell 48port switches cuz the Cisco ones are too pricey...
Thanks,
The Scenario:
So a while ago, we setup a new office and my inexperienced self had to setup the network. I understand the data side (mostly), but still don't have the practice I need for the VOIP/networking part.
We have 3 floors that we'll call floor 5,6,7. Our main server room w/racks is on floor 7 and our cables terminations end there. We'll have data and VOIP phones on all floors for 200-300 users, but most users on floor 6 and 7.
So we currently have Linksys SRW2048 Gig switches on the 5th floor connected to another SRW2048 on the 7th floor via a fiber connection. Internet comes in via a fiber cable to the SRW2048. The SRW2048 connects to a Cisco 24 port L3 Gig switch which handles all the vlans and routing. I'd like to move hte fiber drops to the Cisco switch, but the cisco SX SFPs didn't work... not sure if there's a setting on the cisco switch or what, but it wasn't plug and play like the linksys switch was...
The Issue:
I'm trying to optimize/prioritize VOIP calls and can't find much documentation on how to do this w/the Linksys switches. I have a separate VLAN for each floor and a VLAN for voice and wireless. I'd like to have all the phones on one subnet and all the wireless segmented off on another. One thing we'd like to do is use a wifi VOIP phone between floors, but that's yet to be implemented.
So what's the optimal way to setup the switches? all the cubicles/offices have at least 2 RJ45 ports, on/twoe for data and one for voice.
Option A: set all the ports to trunk and manually set the phones to a voice VLAN. This means I have to manually goto all the phones to set the VLANs, but would allow me to place phones in any jack.
Option B: Designate white ports to be voice and blue ports to be data and set all the linksys ports to the voice vlan. Leave one port on the linksys switch to trunk back to the Cisco switch. I don't have to manually set all the phones and the linksys switch is on a different vlan from the users. Downside is I have more to configure on the linksys switch, but at least I can use lcli for that. I set each port to General and designate the PVID to the voice VLAN. since I can't set a default trunk VLAN in the linksys switch.
Option C: Similar to Option B, but I set specific ports on the main Cisco switch to be voice and data and set the linksys ports to trunk. Less configuration on the linksys switches, but the switches are exposed on the user network.
I think I read the QOS on the cisco switch can only be set on the port and not on a vlan... not sure though...
What's the recommended best practices for implementing VOIP vlans in a network like this? We haven't purchased equipment for the middle floor, but the linksys switches are out of production. I'm lookin at the Dell 48port switches cuz the Cisco ones are too pricey...
Thanks,
Last edited: