need recommendations & explenation of fiber connection

[symhelp]

We currently have a fiber connection that runs from the front of our building to the back of it, the run was too long for ethernet cabling. we have Tx to Fx ST converters. question i have is the network cable that comes from the converter box to our cisco switch is programs to handle this fiber connection but i'm not sure what this is done. when i look at the port it's set for 802.1Q trunk. it's not on a different vlan though. the reason i'm asking is because i'm setting up a duplicate network like that and want to know how this port needs to be configured. i'm also trying to find something cheaper then a cisco switch to accomplish this, any recommendations?
Thanks!

 

[baddos]

You already have the fiber connection and switches on both ends? Or are you upgrading the existing 100mb fiber to gigabit?

 

[symhelp]

yes we do already have fiber connections and switches on both ends. i'm looking to duplicate this setup with another fiber line we have.

 

[symhelp]

yes we already have fiber connection and switches. I'm looking to duplicate this setup on other fiber line on a separate network we have.

 

[baddos]

Ah, well to be honest a pair of 2960 switches with 1000baseSX SFPs shouldn't cost you too much. You could even go w/ the express switches if budget is a big concern.

I wouldn't repeat using media converters like you are right now though. That is just one more piece of equipment that could fail.

 

[johnccc]

Definately go with something like the 2960 or if you really want to go cheap you could get a used 3550 with an sx gbic.

http://WWW.CCCMN.COM

 

[imbadatthis]

the dot1q you see, is probably just the trunk, as its a switch to switch connection, and hence some sort of trunking needs to be setup.
if they are both cisco switches for your soon to be duplicate network, I would suggest just telling it to negotiate correct trunking protocol and leaving it at that.. although if your using non-cisco to cisco stuff it will end up being dot1q anyways*

*most cisco to cisco is dot1q as well these days,I haven't really seen ISL for a while...

 

[VinceWhirlwind]

Any switch that supports dot1q trunking will do the job - most other vendors are half the price of Cisco.

So what you need is:
find out how the new fibre is presented: (ST/SC/LC)
find out whather it is multimode OM3, or something else.
buy a switch for each end
buy an SFP for each end
buy a multimode OM3 fibre patch lead (LC-ST/SC/LC) for each end

plug it all in and it will work just fine.
The dot1q trunking is configuration you will need help with and depends on the exact design for this new network of yours.