[NTLUG:Discuss] Switch Question

[Jay Urish]

Kipton Moravec wrote:

> I am helping out at a small assembly shop.  The place has a server and 
> about 16 computers.  8 are networked together and 8 are not.  The test 
> area for example has one computer on the network and 4 not on the 
> network.  The machine setup area has 3 non-networked computers within 6 
> feet of each other.
> 
> The Server is next to a 10/100 16 port switch.  The reason the other 
> computers are not on the network is because running the wires is a pain 
> because of the high ceiling (the wires run across the drop ceiling) and 
> it is a little over 100 feet of wire from the switch to each of the two 
> areas.
> 
> Most of the computers have 100 MB cards, but some of the ones that are 
> not yet hooked up have 10 MB cards in them.
> 
> What I think I want to do is keep the server switch and add another 
> switch in the test area and another switch in the machine setup area.  
> These two mini-switches will hook into the 16 port switch.
> 
> The network is not very busy.
> 
> I remember reading here not too far back that it was a bad idea to 
> connect switches to switches.  But I do not remember the details.
> 


I don't see a problem with this. I have done it in the past.

> So the question is what is the down side of hooking the two areas the 
> way I propose? (The mini switches have uplink ports). If the switches 
> should not be chained like that what is the other method of using 1 wire 
> to connect two areas together?  It seems overkill (to me) to have two 
> extra routers. Is that the preferred solution?
> 
> To make it more interesting, they also own another building across the 
> parking lot.  How do you connect the two buildings together? 

Solution 1:
Rent a ditch witch and lay fiber and use media changers on each side

Solution 2:
Look around for the best deal on some Motorola Canopy backhaul units.
You can get 10mb of data through the slow models..



They have
> not expanded operations into there yet, but I do not think it will be 
> long before they do. The buildings are only about 100 feet apart in the 
> back but the server is near the front of the main building, so it may be 
> a 300-400 feet of wire from server to middle of the second building. Any 
> ideas?
> 
> 
> Kip
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> https://ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss

-- 
Jay Urish	Systems Engineer
Unixwolf Enterprises LLC.
http://www.unixwolf.net
972.691.0125	972.965.6229