Non-Cisco PoE Switches

[jneiberger]

We're considering a Cisco IPT deployment and we've realized that we could save a very substantial amount of money by using non-Cisco PoE switches. We found a new 48-port PoE switch from Dell that costs under $1,200, which is a LOT less than what Cisco is proposing.

However, I realize that there would be some trade-offs, such as lack of TAC support.

I'm interested in your opinions. On the whole good/bad scale, how would you rate using non-Cisco switches for Cisco IPT? The scale is +5 for great idea, -5 for insane.

Any thoughts?

 

[AJ1982]

Ok, well rather than say thats a weird idea Let me tell u the advantages of a PoE switch (Power over Ethernet)

( 1 ) Your phones will need power, a PoE does this for you over the ethernet cable, no need for individual transformers.

( 2 ) Cisco switches will differentiate the voice vlan on the switch, so you can segment off your phones vlans blah blah

Ta

AJ

===

Fatman Superstar (Andrew James)

CCNA, CCAI

 

[BuckWeet]

Unless those other switches support CDP, you're in for a nightmare.. You have to manually set the Vlans on each phone.

Everyone is finally realizing CDP is a great thing and IEEE is developing LLDP (something like CDP)..


Its about time


BuckWeet

 

[jneiberger]

AJ, the Dell switches are PoE, but as BuckWeet mentions, they do not support CDP. At least as far as I know.

 

[pndscm]

Buckweet is right on the money. You may save $$ up front but you'll spend more $$ on the backside.

 

[AdmanOK]

You also need to be aware that the earlier models of Cisco phones (7912, 7940 and 7960) only support the Cisco Pre-Standard POE... they do not support 802.3af POE, which is what most switches are going to want to provide.

 

[jneiberger]

Very true, AdmanOK, but we'd most likely only consider the 7941, 7961, and 7970, and they all use 802.3af.

Still, based on what I've been hearing, it's certainly possible to make a Cisco IPT solution work without using Cisco switches but it's fraught with peril. You don't get Cisco TAC support on non-Cisco switches, obviously, and you also can't use things like Cisco Emergency Responder (E-911) without a CDP-enabled switch.

We would also lose the ability to do Cisco NAC Phase Two, which is due out any day and is something we're pretty interested in.

Although I'd prefer Cisco PoE switches everywhere, that's a pretty pricey option. We'd save a bunch of money by going with PowerDsine power injectors at sites that already have Cisco switches.

 

[BuckWeet]

Talk to your cisco rep and tell them.. They should be able to swindle some more points off of the switches..

I know my company gets 47% off MSRP due to the amount we buy.. They have playing room.....



BuckWeet

 

[jneiberger]

I just saw that Dell has dropped their price. They're running a special on those switches and you can now get a 48-port PoE switch with two copper GigE uplinks and two slots for SFPs for $974!!

Yikes. It will be interesting to see how the other switch vendors respond. That's not a shot across the bow, that's a direct hit with a torpedo.

 

[BuckWeet]

I understand that you want to save money.. But in my opinion why are you spending all this money on a Cisco IPT solution just to muck it up by not using cisco switches?


Why not go with a different pbx vendor like avaya or something? Those vendors don't build on features like CDP, etc..

Cisco makes their solution to rely on features that are built into their networking devices. Without those features its a pain to deploy a cisco ipt solution.

 

[jneiberger]

Believe me, I understand. I personally would not recommend a Cisco IPT solution running on non-Cisco switches. However, the $2,400 price difference between a discounted Cisco switch and the Dell switch is difficult to ignore.

 

[VoIPnovice]

Just to let you guys know

I’m running out of ports in my system and I’m using an 60 dollars 8 ports Dlink switch whit 7 phones and it works great can’t believe the first time I see them work

I waiting for my new 48 ports 3560 PoE but now im very concern about AdmanOk says that 7912 phones doesn’t work whit this switch

Are all 7912 got this issue or only the very old ones?

Regards all

 

[AdmanOK]

Let me clarify... all current Cisco switches (including the 3560G-48PS) support both pre-standard POE and 802.3af, so you will be safe there. Cisco have never updated any of there existing models to include support for 802.3af. As new phones are being introduced they are including support for the ratified standard on those devices. The problem is that on the 7941 and 7961 (Gigabit Ethernet versions of the 7940 and 7960, respectively) they are added 802.3af at the expense of the pre-standard POE capabilities, so the new phones will are not compatible with old switches like the 3550 or 3524 models!

 

[jpm121]

The info in this thread can be a bit confusing.

- The 7941G, 7961G, and 7971G phones are 10/100 phones that DO support both pre-standard and 802.3af POE. Basically they just added a nicer screen and some other eye candy.

- The 7941G-GE, 7961G-GE, and 7971G-GE are 10/100/1000 phones that ONLY support 802.3af, therefore they aren't compatible with Cisco's older POE equipment.

Hopefully Cisco has a bunch of people working to make this whole thing even more confusing. If history is our guide, it's a sure bet.

 

[pndscm]

Another note for the 7941G, 7961G and 7971G. The available memory in those phones also went up considerably. Cisco was being limited in new features in the older phones by the low memory space available.

 

[aarenot]

Because of the costs you mention, I suggest you look at a solution other than Cisco. There are other options out there, and other suppliers . You really should use the Cisco switches with their product, if you want it to perform.

If you are going to consider the Cisco solution, then spend the money for it, or find another solution providor. If you are not going to go with the Cisco switch solution, then look for another providors solution.