Gigabit upgrade question

[ejsmith]

Forgive me if this isn't the appropriate forum for this question. I know very little about networking - I was hoping to get this groups opinion on something I'd like to do.

I am new to a company which is currently using a 10 mbps network. We have somewhere between 30-40 servers. Several hundred desktops. Most users have very low network demands (wordprocessing, small Excel files). I have control over one server - I can do with it as I wish. They are currently upgrading to a 100 mbps network.

I however need to manipulate very large data sets - both in returning large data sets from SQL server and in saving and allowing multiple user access to OLAP cubes and huge Excel spreadsheets. So I have very large needs compared to the average system user. Currently on the 10 mbps network it can take up to 40 minutes to save one of my spreadsheets.

My questions are:
1) Is it possible to upgrade only part of a network? I'd like to upgrade only my server and my users to a gigabit network.
2) Would this be terribly expensive? I know that 'expensive' is a relative term - but I'd appreciate your opinions.
3) Why in this day and age would you upgrade a network from 10 to 100 when gigbit is available? There must be some reason...

Thanks you in advance for your help!

 

[Parcival21]

Hi,
Although I do not have a lot of experience with the questions you asked I might be able to answer part of your questions.
@3) gigbit is more expensive than 100 mbit and in most cases there's no need for a "normal user" to have gbit ethernet so nobody wants to spend money for something they don't need. You should look at the internet for prices.

@1) it should be possible to upgrade only a part of the network but you should talk to your admin how you can arrange this.

Another question could be if it qould be really necessary to connect your users with gbit. you could connect for example all your users with 100 Mbit to a kind of a backplane to your servers with gbit.
bye,
busche

 

[ejsmith]

Thanks busche!
My area doesn't have the best relations with our networking people - so they will tell me 'it can't be done' no matter what I ask them. So I need to understand things before I even approach them. Your answer will help me to get a handle on things. I'm going to look into the backplane idea.
Thanks!

 

[Parcival21]

Just informed myself about the thing with gigabit and ethernet. To switch from 10/100 fastEthernet to gigabit you will only need a switch that is able to speak both. For example you can take a switch that has a gigabit port, connect it to your server(needs a gigabit card) and then connect your clients to the 10/100Mbit ports of the switch.
Should work fine with few effort.
bye,
busche