asterisk users - Feb 2004 - Switch brands, speeds, etc.

The short of it:
----------------
In light of the recent Netgear posts, I'm just curious if anyone has 
preferences for brands of switches - we're wiring a parallel network of 
10BaseT over existing cat3 for the IP phones in our office space.

The long of it:
---------------
Our setup:

* Office of <10 people spread out in 2000-3000 sq.ft.
* Space previously used as computer learning center,
    chock full of cat-3 and multiple rj-45 jacks
    per wall plate.
* We're rewiring anyway - company growth + lack of planning
    has led to switches and hubs strung everywhere
* I've convinced the boss to let me implement an asterisk
    server, replacing the unholy phone concoction we have now
* No external VOIP....at least not yet.
* MUCH data flying back and forth from computers in labs
    to offices and vice versa

So we were thinking of using some of the existing cat3 for just the IP 
phones and stringing some cat5e alongside for intranet.  Buy a cheap 
10BaseT switch (SmallDog has a refurbished Asante 5324 24-port cheap) 
for the cat3 lines and feed that to our * server's eth1.

We're geeks, but not really networking geeks, so I thought I'd ask the 
list populace at large if they had comments/recommendations.


Best,
Bob Klepfer
Photon-X, Inc.

Not really switch avice, but it you are rewiring anyway, ditch the cat3. A good
portion of wiring cost is the labor to pull the wire. Since you are doing it
anyone I would pull enough to handle the phones too.

We are shopping too, but for an enterprise wide solution (about 1000-1500 ports
WAN wide). I like the HP ProCurve 48 port for its good warranty, rep, and, low
cost per port. If we decide to go with power over ethernet, however, we are
leaning towards Cisco.

I am curious what others are using.

-- 
Jonathan Moore
Director of Technology
Winfield Public Schools
Office 620.221.5100
Fax 620.221.0508


Quoting Bob Klepfer <bob@photon-x.com>:
> The short of it:
> ----------------
> In light of the recent Netgear posts, I'm just curious if anyone has 
> preferences for brands of switches - we're wiring a parallel network of
> 10BaseT over existing cat3 for the IP phones in our office space.
> 
> The long of it:
> ---------------
> Our setup:
> 
> * Office of <10 people spread out in 2000-3000 sq.ft.
> * Space previously used as computer learning center,
>     chock full of cat-3 and multiple rj-45 jacks
>     per wall plate.
> * We're rewiring anyway - company growth + lack of planning
>     has led to switches and hubs strung everywhere
> * I've convinced the boss to let me implement an asterisk
>     server, replacing the unholy phone concoction we have now
> * No external VOIP....at least not yet.
> * MUCH data flying back and forth from computers in labs
>     to offices and vice versa
> 
> So we were thinking of using some of the existing cat3 for just the IP 
> phones and stringing some cat5e alongside for intranet.  Buy a cheap 
> 10BaseT switch (SmallDog has a refurbished Asante 5324 24-port cheap) 
> for the cat3 lines and feed that to our * server's eth1.
> 
> We're geeks, but not really networking geeks, so I thought I'd ask
the
> list populace at large if they had comments/recommendations.
> 
> 
> Best,
> Bob Klepfer
> Photon-X, Inc.
> 
> 
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