10 base-t vs 100 base-t

[mycarona]

I am an IT professional who has inherited a beautifully designed network by a tech for whom I have alot of respect. We have a series of robust dual processor servers (WinNT 4.0)and about 50+ active users. The network is over a campus-like setting with fiber and cat 5 cabling. The disagreement is this: He has put 10 mps data converters and 10 base-t hubs on all the outlying offices. He has one small 100 mps switch for which I can pick and chose who I want to plug into it (as long as they are in the same building). He claims that giving everyone 100 mps bandwidth would "bog down" the server(s). I think everyone on the network should be given the same speed, especially with database applications that have been implemented since I've come on board. Does anyone have an expert opinion on this?

Thanks
MyCaRona

 

[jimbopalmer]

I have a BIASed opinion on this. No outlying Building on my property (45 buildings) with more than 4 users are still on 10 hubs, I am regreting even them.

VLANs, needs new equipment
QOS, needs new equipment
VoIP, needs new equipment
full duplex, almost never implemented in 10baseT
switching, rarely implemented in 10baseT

it is not JUST that 10baseT is slower, without the above technologies even 100 baseT is slower than need be. I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.

 

[TreyJ]

I agree. Having 10Base-T for servers is not good. We've wrestled with 10/100-Base and half/full duplex for awhile. For optimum performance on the network, 100Base Full duplex is definitely the way to go!

 

[Vettejax]

Hubs used to be OK, but since the 10/100 switch are now very cheap, I wouldn't run hubs due to the fact they cause increased b-casts on a network. A hub has only one mac address and on switch each port has it's on mac address, a hub each port has to contend for the same mac address and causes b-casts and reduces performance in long run. My suggest would be to replace any hub with a X port mini switch and gain some performance thru out your network by eliminating b-casts. Your servers will love the extra bandwith and run much more efficiently.

Thanks Jax
mailto:vettejax@hotmail.com

 

[AlexIT]

I second the switch recommendation, we changed all our LAN equipment to switches couple years back, made big difference in large file transfers. I would go further and recommend 1000Mb/s for server farm though. We now run Gigabit over copper from/between all servers and first switch, with 1000Mb/s fiber trunks from first switch to all others. Saw big benefits for about 1500USD extra...

Alex

 

[mycarona]

I used the wrong nomenclature--I meant switches (not all hubs). The outlying buildings have 10 mbs switches and 10 mbs data converters (Cat5 to Fiber). I've made a recommendation to CFO to upgrade to 10/100 mbs switches and data converters. Some of the older PC's have 10 mbs NIC, but they can be upgraded through "attrition". Thanks everyone for your responses. I recommended programmable switches so I can control band width through that. Since we're on the 3-com board, I guess all would recommend 3-com. I've used Intel before and the ones we have now (as well as data converters) are Allied Telesys. Any recommendations?

Kim