Recommendations for Gigabit

[ilpadrino]

I basically have a fast ethernet 10/100 network. If I wanted to changed some of the more bandwidth-intensive devices to gigabit, what requirements should I consider?

For example,

Will the CAT5 cabling work?
What switches/hubs would be the best option?
Which duplex settings are required?
etc...(any others)

Thanks in advance.

 

[CaMedic]

There is so much more information needed, but here is a rule. make informed decisions before un informed decisions.

Run MRTG on your Switches to see what is actually hapening. do you need a little more bandwith, or ALOT? if it is just a little more, you can Etherchannel 100baseT ports together.

As far as Gig goes. Switch to switch i like SX connectors with fiber. Connections to servers if the run is short go with 1000baseT, if the Run is long.. Over 30ft go with SX.

Most all of the clients i have experienced only need gig to connect switches together but not for desktops, and servers usally surfice with Etherchannel.

You can go up to 8 ports with etherchannel, but more than 4 it is easyer to go to gig.

HAVE Fun...

 

[ilpadrino]

It's funny you mentioned MRTG. I've been setting up all my graphs just this last week or two. I love it, and am anxious to see if RRD will also benefit me.

As for the network management, I appreciate your suggestion, it humbles me that there is so much more I need to know about switching and networking. I'm really only concerned about increasing ethernet bandwidth for one department, marketing that transfers huge photoshop and pagemaker files back and forth between their desktops and several servers and NAS units. The rest of the desktops are not as bandwidth intensive.

Thanks, Joe.