Ohh..what switches to buy

[toshiba3020]

I am setting up a lab which currentally has 25 workstations. Soon, it will be expanded to add another 6-10 computer I would guess(about all the room can hold without getting crowded). I need to propose to spend as little as possible, so wondering what you people would think would be good to buy. I dont think(cheaply) I could use one swithch, so I probably need two. I checked with the tech guy, I have one 100b port off their network which I can run to my switche(s). I would like 100base switches. I am hoping their is a cheap solution around daisy-chaining the two switches togeather(switch in wiring closet--->switch1---->switch2) I would like the uplink in the wiring closet to be distributed equally for all the workstations, and to have all the computers on the lab on a 100base network. Should I get two switches that are stackable, or maybe with 1000mb uplinks? What are your ideas here? I was kind of looking at Netgear 16 port stackable switches.

Thanks
Garrett.

 

[kylef]

Those Netgear stackable switches are pretty nice. They're unmanaged, which is probably a good thing if there isn't a full-time system administrator to take care of them. They're basically LIKE having 10/100 switches with gigabit uplinks, but they use a proprietary interconnect that supposedly scales up to 4000Mbps. Not bad at all. We've got a few in a networking closet at a branch of Duke and they seem to work pretty well.

However, if these are going to be real chatty workstations, or scientific workstations, then it might be worthwhile to get a managed switch. But honestly, you're going to spend much more for a switch with a Gig uplink.

 

[toshiba3020]

Thanks. Glad to know I am on the right track.

I agree, I dont think managable switches are nessesary. They wont be very chatty as you put it(i like that) and I am leaving next year for college so I wont be there, and as for the tech people, well, lets just say they might as well not be there. I figured switches with a gigabit uplink would cost, so I guess pending no one saying this will kill me, this will be my solution.

Thanks
Garrett.

 

[rawko]

you can pickup 24 port 10/100 switches on ebay for a few hundred bucks.. any brand should suffice.

 

[RagManX]

Might I do a little self-promoting and suggest you check out my switches for sale here on Anand's?

RagManX